Hi Everyone!
I weighed in today and lost 4 lbs. during Preconditioning! Today was my first day on the yellow menu. At lunch, it just seemed like those 8 oz. of veggies kept growing! Despite the huge amounts of veggies on the yellow menu, I am excited about actually beginning the "real" diet today.:carrot:

Thanks for the info! I am always up for saving some money!:D

Well I have a little update. I've on week 6 of stabilization (wahoo!) and can't wait to be finished. I've been struggling mentally but now it's that I can't convince myself that I should be happy with my weight. When I originally started they set my goal at 143.5 based on getting me down to 26% body fat. Well mid-way through the program they realized the Tanita wasn't measuring my body fat percentage correctly (I needed to be entered in as an "Athlete" rather than a "Normal" person). Well, once they realized that and measured my body fat (I think I was 156 lbs at that point) I had already hit the 26% goal...actually SURPASSED IT (I think I was at 25%)! They never re-evaluated my weight goal after that but I kept losing more and more body fat. Now I'm between 18-20% body fat (depending on the day) and down to 152-153.5 lbs (depending on the day). But for some reason I can't convince myself that I don't need to lose anymore weight. When I step on the scale each morning and see 152 I feel a little disappointed. Why is that? I'm at a VERY healthy body fat percentage and the 152 lbs is JUST A NUMBER! So I'm really struggling with myself on that.

Also, I think my body is finally back to normal. I ate off program a few times during my journey. Each time I ate off program I'd gain 8-10 lbs (water weight). I could eat WAY off program or eat just a tiny bit off program and no matter what my body would go crazy and gain all that water weight. Well, yesterday I don't know what happened but I ate a lot of ice cream, some cereal, pistashios...all things definitely not a part of the stabilization menu! And I only gained 2 lbs this morning. I think I probably consumed 2 lbs of food so that's probably some of it right there! :) But if I would have eaten ANY of that food earlier on the program, I guarantee I would have been up 10 lbs. 2 lbs is so manageable to me. I'm right back on plan today and wouldn't be surprised if those 2 extra lbs are gone by tomorrow morning (or by Wednesday morning at the latest).

So anyway, just wanted to give a little update. I just hope I can get over this mental hurdle and convince myself that 152 lbs is a GOOD weight and I need to stop being disappointed with a silly number. I'm freaking less than 20% body fat! Not many people can say that.

lcmaly - way to go! I like a quote that I adopted "stole" from another person...we use the number on the scale not because it is the most accurate but because it is the most convinent.

Also, I noticed several people asking about other sources for HNS and supplements so I bumped an old thread...after market HNS...

Icmaly,

Years ago I was anorexic so I have a little understanding into body image issues.

When you first started losing weight, did you picture your body differently when you hit your goal? Is there a certain body type you wish you had?

You have worked hard and stuck to your weight loss committment with fantastic results. I'm very proud of you even though I only know you from this website.

I think we get locked into this "I must lose weight" mind set that is very hard to switch off when we've achieved a healthy weight. Since we don't want to relapse, it's hard to turn that part of our brain off. We've become hardwired to get our gratification from the decreasing number on the scale. Your subconscious may just be protecting you from letting go of the scale mentality. In time you may readjust how you see yourself.

If you decided to go ahead and get down to 143.5 would that be an unhealthy weight for you? If not, I would say go ahead and lose a little more and see how you feel.

Also, it must be a letdown to discover you're already there at the finale without any mental preparation. I remember getting down to a certain number and thinking "Is this it?" There was no fanfare, just me in my knowledge that I had accomplished a weight of 132 and my life wasn't that different.

You also may be discouraged because you no longer have a reason to challenge yourself. There's a great deal of satisfaction in seeing that weight drop off and now you don't have that to look forward to.

These are just some ideas. I've been awake over 24 hours now so I'm probably rambling quite a bit. I'm sure our veteran MRCers could offer some great advice.

Day 100 and I am down 50.5!! I have another 60 or so to go. :o)

Wow!! Fantastic! Keep up the great work, and congratulations! :bravo:

Thank you! My husband and I are both dedicated to this lifestyle change...
You are doing fantastic also! Way to go!!

Thank you so much for the updates this week as I use the concentrates the most!! I just bought my usual 10/$90 at the center totaling $97 and I can get 14 boxes for the same price! So awesome!

Congratulations, Dedge! You must feel fantastic!

noahsmama, I must have missed the post where you signed the thirty pound board. Congratulations to you too! Who was your counselor when you weighed in for this?

Congrats to you!! That's fantastic

Thanks for noticing, but I didn't post about it. I guess I just wasn't in the 'mood' lol, as weird as that might sound. I had Joy (the manager) on Saturday and they even took my picture signing the board! So maybe my mug will be up there by the time you sign it, ya never know. You'll be signing it before you know it!

I actually am having a hard time seeing or feeling the change :o(

When I started losing weight years ago (I lost about 50 lbs on my own over the last 6-7 years) each time I hit a goal I would think "if I just lost X more lbs I wouldn't have this flab anymore". I kept thinking more weight dropped would result in a tighter tummy and no overhang/muffintops. Well, at 152 I can say my tummy is the tightest it's ever been and to everyone else in the world, I don't have ANY overhang or muffintops. But to me I see that tiny little buldge, you know?

One of my biggest problems though isn't related to "fat" but rather a combination of thick skin and somewhat inelastic skin in my lower abdominal area. I've been told by 2 plastic surgeons that I have thicker than normal skin that may seem like fat but it isn't. Also, because I was so heavy when I was younger and up until 6-7 years ago, my lower abdominal wall actually seperated much like a pregnant woman's does. So my lower abs (below the belly button) are poofy even though when I flex they are rock solid. So although I'm SO happy with the way my body looks right now, I always think "if I just lost X more lbs I wouldn't have this pooch anymore". But I know that isn't going to happen!

You are right...we are all so used to wanting/needing to lose weight it's tough to get our brains to switch to the mode of wanting to just maintain. We're all told over and over again through magazines, TV, friends, family that we all need to lose weight. If I were to continue on and try to get down to 143.5, I would be flirting with being underweight. And as an adult competitive athlete, my performance would suffer if I was that small.

I just need to convince myself that 152 is just a number. I'm a size 6 (probably a size 4 in some stuff) which is unbelievable for a 6 foot tall woman. I'm less than 20% body fat which is awesome. And most importantly, I see myself in the mirror and I honestly CAN see a change and I'm happy.

Weigh In
 

Yesterday I weighed in and didn't lose a pound by the scale at the center. I wasn't discourage in any way. I believe that is because I read about the plateau before it occured. I weigh in again on Thursday I am hoping for a big number then. If I don't see at least a 3 to 4 pounds weight lose I think I will be very bothered at that point. Well keep up the good work everyone and hope to hear your success stories soon.

Everyone sounds so dedicated; they rarely go off plan. I'm still struggling hour to hour to stay on plan and more often then not, give in to the chocolate/ sugar cravings. I'm trying to do better, but having to think about my food this much is alot. I think my biggest hurdle is that I haven't embraced the whole shopping list, preparing, weighing your food thing. Which isn't bad, but I'm getting really tired of nothing but salads. I do have the cookbook, but it seems overwhelming to try to plan and cook ahead so much. I generally just cook chicken at night with a vegetable and then use the leftover chicken for lunch with a salad.

I'm not asking for suggestions, just trying to get over the mental hurdle of focusing on food this much. I'm having a terrible time trying to get all the water and HNS in. I know how important it is, just doesn't seem to be enough time to drink that much liquid.

Thanks for letting me vent.