I know how you feel. I went looking for a bag of powdered donuts last night and thought I might as well eat the whole bag since my scales haven't budged after a week of being OP.
Fortunately, my skinny thirteen year old ate them all. It's funny because I don't even care for sweets. I usually cheat with pasta or bread items.
If weekends are harder for you maybe it's because off plan foods are more accessible. Can you prepare your weekend meals in advance?
I'm not sure if you work during the week or not, but some people find weekends more stressful just because they can't control family issues as well as they control work stress.
I guess I would look for the cause of your desire to eat off plan and make adjustments.
My own issue is that I pick up visual cues to eat when I watch TV or visit my sister (who is a fabulous cook). I need to find other ways to relax.
Hope everyone is doing well. I have a question, does anyone know if MRC will put your program on hold if anything happens, like let's say you find out your pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I sure understand the financial impact .... what I do is wait until the concentrates (they're my favorite) go on sale at dietdirect for $7.99 a box, then I order 48 boxes (which takes the price down to $6.49 per box). Shipping is free. Then I have 112 days worth (about 3-1/3 months if you're using 3 per day) for $284.00. I also order Walker shakes from Vitacost.com and use those also. They are better nutritionally than the MRC ones, not quite as tasty however. There is a forum on our MRC for alternatives and low cost alternatives to the HNS dilemma. I haven't belonged to the center for 1-1/2 years, and didn't rejoin when I restarted, but use my materials and alternative sources for supplements.
Good luck on whatever you decide, and don't forget we support you no matter what you choose to do.
Hope everyone is doing well. I have a question, does anyone know if MRC will put your program on hold if anything happens, like let's say you find out your pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations?! Yes, MRC will put your program on hold for various medicle reasons. I've known a couple of people who had to for health reasons. Pregnancy is definitely a time when I'm sure they would. I wondered where you had been. Hope all is going well.
Thanks Theresa! Yes I have been focused elsewhere and haven't been here in a while. But I have been sticking to my salads with chicken for lunch but now I get hungry in an hour whereas before it would keep me full for awhile. Hope you are well and I will be back in the summer to lose baby weight!!!!!
Hello LeahRuthie...the class starts at 5:30. I'm hoping to get some pointers from Linda!!! I am so glad you had a great talk with one of the counselors, there are a few that really seem to know what they are talking about. Jeannie is a the dark, long hair gal who is probabably in her late 30's. She is only there about 3 times a week, since she has her own place in David City I believe. She is the one who got me to join and is really good at what she does, and really knows her stuff. She was on MRC herself a while back, so she has lots of experience. I know she is there on Wednesday's, so I am switching to Wed. for my WI's. I asked for her last time, so I hope I didn't offend anyone by it.
oh boo, i won't be able to make it--i have a gym class at 5:45 that i hate missing. maybe relay some cliff's notes here afterward? and i'm pretty sure that jeannie is who i met with on saturday! she really is great, and was really understanding and eager to help me keep up with my fitness goals as well as weight loss, whereas a lot of the other ladies i've met with just insisted on giving up a lot of workouts which is NOT something i want to do. jeannie said my losses will be slower on metabalance, but that it will be good for someone who wants to be as active as i do. i told her that slow losses are still losses, as opposed to where i am now, so i'll take it! i'm on my second day of doing metabalance and i love it. and for once i don't think i'm going to want to pass out or die during my gym class tonight
I don't believe there's enough nutritional value in the food alone, FL. I read somewhere that if you study the ingredients and find a suitable whey protein powder to mix with Crystal Light, that would be the equivalent of the HNS. I found a big jug of the powder at HyVee (in the Healthy Market section) on sale for around $13. I may have to begin investigating!
We've both done well with MRC and for reasons I mentioned here a long time ago, I have no intentions of slacking once I'm done with MRC. I will continue on -- it's my own little challenge now! I just have to find a less expensive way to do it.
My sister said the funniest thing yesterday. She said no one else in our family has ever lost this much weight without being on chemotherapy! And it's true! We really had to giggle about that! (No offense to anyone who is or has someone close currently undergoing treatment. We lost both parents and a brother in 4 years to cancer, so we sometimes have to resort to gallows humor in order to deal with the loss.)
-- JJ
JJ, Thanks for the info about the HyVee protein powder....I will have to check it out and watch for the sales. Maybe if I use this and sometimes the HNS's, it will help break the cost up. I will wait and see what they decide when Dec. 12th gets here. I have to stock up Wednesday with HNS's again, so it may be my last time I make this purchase....I try to justify it because I am not buying junk food anymore, so I do save there in that dept. It's just that $96 I have to give them each time I purchase just eats at me. I would love to know the profit they make off each box....no, maybe not!!! I can follow the diet quite well otherwise. I have found to use the Cream tomato, Cream Chicken and Clear Chicken quite a bit now to make soups, so that makes me feel like I'm getting more out of the HNS's that way. I'm going to have to do some label reading to see what is close to their HNS'S. I really don't want to go on maintenance when I am so far from where I want to be, but I can't see another $100 to keep doing this. If they work with me and let me hang in there until I reach their goal they set, then I will re-consider.
I get your humor from you and your sister...sometimes that's how you get through the tough times. My sis and I did the same when trying to get through the last few days leading up to the loss of our cousin. Humor really is the best medicine.
oh boo, i won't be able to make it--i have a gym class at 5:45 that i hate missing. maybe relay some cliff's notes here afterward? and i'm pretty sure that jeannie is who i met with on saturday! she really is great, and was really understanding and eager to help me keep up with my fitness goals as well as weight loss, whereas a lot of the other ladies i've met with just insisted on giving up a lot of workouts which is NOT something i want to do. jeannie said my losses will be slower on metabalance, but that it will be good for someone who wants to be as active as i do. i told her that slow losses are still losses, as opposed to where i am now, so i'll take it! i'm on my second day of doing metabalance and i love it. and for once i don't think i'm going to want to pass out or die during my gym class tonight
I will do just that, and scan the recipes she gives out. They are usually so good. And some great hints. Wish you could be there...but I admire you for excercising so hard...good for you!!!
I love reading all your posts, it is like going to the MRC center. I can only get online a couple of times a week so be patient with me, but I would like to be involved with your forum. You all help us struggling with wanting to eat "normal". I suppose my idea of normal has been Not Normal or else I would not be in this shape (fat).
JJ and FL,
ProteinFactory.com has great whey isolate powder (click on Protein on left end of grey bar) We never use it in anything hot as my husband feels that hurts the protein. He buys the full bag as it comes to them (33 kilos I think) and it costs us around $400 but we go through it in 3 months or so, 2 to 3 shakes a day. The 1 lb bag says it has 15 serving of 27g protein - costs from $8 to $13 depending on which one. They have a $10 bag for $40 but it only has 24g protein per serving - come in chocolate and vanilla.
Also dietdirect.com has liquid protein in 30 oz bottles in a few flavors - 15 to 18 g protein per ounce. I'm going to try this next time I get something from them. I only bought their HNSs when they were on sale for $7.99, I got enough to get 10% off and free shipping. Otherwise, you are right, JJ, might as well get from MRC. I purchased pretty much everything from MRC for the first 3 months - then I added up all I had spent () That's when I ordered from dietdirect! and I've bought very little from MRC since.
I think once you have the plan under control, you could continue losing weight on your own. As FL said, she is not buying anything other than HNSs. The biggest problem I can see is the psychological problems that cause poor eating choices. If you have a better way of getting counselling than MRC, or feel you have worked through these issues and just need occasional support, 3FCs has so many support threads - I just found a maintainers thread not connected with MRC but people who have lost weight and kept it off using many different methods.
Oh yeah, I learned something the other day at MRC - their meals are designed to give us 60% protein, 20% carb, 20% fat at each meal - I had not realized that. I have been trying to relate that to what I am eating on maintenance now and realized I never got anywhere near that much protein when I was trying to lose weight on my own. So, yes, If you can get enough protein and keep the fats and carbs low enough and still get enough of the right kinds of fats, you can certainly continue to lose weight on your own.
Keep us informed as to what you decide - Get as much from and out of MRC as you can - you have paid for it up front - They'll cut you off eventually when you can't give them anymore money - until then, take advantage of their services. Happy Holidays, jeanette
Jeanette, thank you so much for some great info you posted. Looks like I need to do some research. I do fear that if I sign up for another 17 - 24 weeks, and I purchase from other places, they will flag me and probably lose my good standing with them....I'm not sure how close they watch in what and how often you order from them?
I will definitely go on maintenance and use the remaining year I will have paid for...that's for sure. I'm assuming you don't have to drink the HNS's when on maintenance...if you do, then they really are making a bundle off of us.
You have some great hints here and I really do appreciate the help. I will always stay with 3FC's because this is the best support of all. We shall see what happens in the next month and how well they work with me. If they are all just about the almighty dollar, then it will really turn me off for signing up for more weeks. So I will see what "We will work with you" actually means!
. . .I do fear that if I sign up for another 17 - 24 weeks, and I purchase from other places, they will flag me . . .
I think if you purchase once a month or every couple weeks, they will not have time to care or think of whether you are getting stuff from else where. purchase the boxes that count toward the $9 each at one time, purchase anything else you need that doesn't get discounted at another time, looks like you are buying more. If you can supplement MRCs with less expensive protein, you may be able to lose faster or more consistently.
I asked again about the protein / carb / fat ratio and she said even on maintenance, keep to that ratio. That way I will burn the carbs and fats as I eat them and the protein will keep me from being hungry and eating things I should not be eating. It's a work in progress, learning to eat "normally"!!!
Thanks for your conpliments, FL and JJ and ALL, jeanette
weighed in tonight - lost another 3 lbs!!!!! A total of 9 lbs since I started pre-conditioning in 17 days (6 lbs OP)! What a motivation to see the lbs come off!!! I usually only weigh in once a week (due to location) - but will be making a special trip Thursday to see if I can't sign the 10 lb board this week!
Hope everyone is doing well. I have a question, does anyone know if MRC will put your program on hold if anything happens, like let's say you find out your pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well taytay and friends...
That's a very interesting question to me b/c I have just found out the same!! Sorry I've been away so long guys... I didn't want to make the announcement until I knew for sure but it is confirmed, I am expecting... SURPRISE!!! My due date is July 3rd. We are all very very happy and feel truly blessed even though it was not planned for this year. I have struggled with PCOS and infertility for many years since having my daughter 12 years ago and losing weight was the key to turning it all around. Thank goodness for MRC and all of you! So taytay, to answer your question, yes, they will put your program on hold for you. I happened to be out of program when I found out 2 weeks ago but they said if I choose to come back after delivery they will let me rejoin without the original joining fees whatever that sums up to. Anyways, Congratulations to you! Keep us updated on your progress :0) As for myself, I have put myself into maintenance... doing pretty good with that and maintaining at 186-187. MRC was not very forthcoming or helpful in suggestions for maintenance obviously b/c I told them the news. They basically said just eat sensibly. I basically nixed the protein drinks (avoiding aspartame) and added in an extra starch in the am as well as a cup of skim milk, lunch is the same, Dinner is the same, extra snack of carbmaster yogurt (80 cal, 1.5 g fat, 6 carbs, 13 g protein) and an extra starch with 2 tbsp of peanut butter at night. This seems to be doing the job. I've had a few other indulgences here and there but on those days I just skip the snack and amazingly I've stayed the same! I have an Ultrasound today, hoping for more good news :0). I'm really hoping I keep this one under check and will not go crazy and gain 65 lbs like I did with the last one! I plan to continue exercising and check in with all of you. That should keep me focused hopefully! Anyways, If you see me/know me on facebook, I have not formally announced this yet so I'm not posting it on FB currently but I just couldn't keep avoiding all of you my good friends at 3FC! Wishing all of you the best as we near the holidays... stick with it, It's worth it!!
and haven't been here in a while. But I have been sticking to my salads with chicken for lunch but now I get hungry in an hour whereas before it would keep me full for awhile. Hope you are well and I will be back in the summer to lose baby weight!!!!!
and i'm pretty sure that jeannie is who i met with on saturday! she really is great, and was really understanding and eager to help me keep up with my fitness goals as well as weight loss, whereas a lot of the other ladies i've met with just insisted on giving up a lot of workouts which is NOT something i want to do. jeannie said my losses will be slower on metabalance, but that it will be good for someone who wants to be as active as i do. i told her that slow losses are still losses, as opposed to where i am now, so i'll take it! 
