What are these stones I hear everyone talking about? When I hit 10 lbs I got to sign the board, but I never heard anything about stones?

I didn't get a stone or get to sign a board until I hit 30 lbs, but my center was under renovations when I hit 10 lbs, and they still didn't have any boards up when I hit 20lbs.

They give you stones to symbolize the "milestones" of 10, 20, 30, etc. lbs. At my center, it's a glass stone (similar to but a little larger than the ones put in vases/centerpieces) that they write the number of lbs on in permanent marker. I carried my 30 lb stone around in my pocket for 3 days, then set it on my desk at work, next to my computer, where it is now accompanied by my 40lb stone.

I thought about gluing magnets to the back and putting them on my fridge, but I never got around to it.

Ahhh ok. Thanks teacherlady!

hteep123-The center in Savannah never gave me a stone. I always wrote on the board. Maybe you can get them to change.
Oh, I do like that center, though. I think that the give the needed encouragement and I think that they run some good specials.

Took my first Yoga class today :D - and found out I am not very bendy! But I really enjoyed the class! Had a great day stying on plan too!! WOOHOO

Hello..
Just stopping by to say congratulations to all the losers. Wishing everyone a great evening and a great weight loss week.

Patzi

Seriously! My legs are getting smaller, my boobs are about non existent...but my dang belly just looks bigger now! I do not want to look like a pumpkin standing on toothpicks....;)

I spent all yesterday afternoon moving furniture and oh boy am I feeling it today! I went to WI this morning and I knew it wouldn't be good. I had sausage fingers so I knew I was retaining water but this morning is the only time I had that I could go and get my supplies. I was up a half a pound. Hopefully it will be gone by my next WI later this week.

Have a great day ladies!

Teacherlady

Can I ask you a couple questions?

Which center do you go to in Omaha?
Where do you do yoga at?

I go to the center on 120th & Blondo, and I do yoga at Prairie Life Fitness. I usually go to the new one at Midtown Crossing, but one of the instructors there also teaches at the 132nd location. The instructors I go to also teach at One Tree Yoga and 8th Ave Yoga, too.

Which center do you go to?

I wouldn't start calling something a plateau until you have been OP for 3-4 weeks and have not lost. Chinese food is FUUUULLLLL of carbs and sodium, so my guess is that is the problem. Drink lots and lots of water to flush your system.

Also, I would suggest evaluating a "total splurge." We have to really re-think what it means to "treat ourselves." Treating yourself to a meal overloaded with carbs, sodium and fat that will set you back in your health goals is not a treat. You're actually treating yourself by staying on plan. So, the mental splurge leads to mental craziness about the splurge (ie weighing). I only say these things out of love and experience. I've been there a billion times. Until I had a true change in my thinking, I set myself up for failure over and over again...truly a decade and a half of my life wasted and lost, not living the dream! :hug: I shout from the rooftops b/c I want us all to succeed!
(p.s. sorry, I know you didn't ask for all the extra discussion! :o )

Very serious here - I am having a boob issue. I have completely deflated, I think of the 30 pounds I have lost, 29 pounds of it was my boobs - heres the problem. They hurt!!!! like the skin above them, my upper chest, and when I exercise it is so much worse. I have tried sports bras, my regular bra, even both of them together and nothing is helping. Does anyone have any ideas??? Short of a boob job

:mad: this is just not my week - How is it possible I am eating right, and working out AND I gained 2 pounds!!! I am so so bummed

When I got a breast reduction, I found out that there is a difference in breast tissue. Some people have huge breasts that are made mostly of fat and little actual breast tissue. Those are the folks that lose weight and their breasts shrink. Other folks have breasts that are made of a lot of breast tissue and a little fat. Those are the folks that can exercise all day long and never reduce the size of their breasts. That was why when I was much heavier, my doctor was still in favor of doing a breast reduction. I could have lost all my weight (and did once) and my breasts still would have been too much for my frame to handle easily.

When I lose weight I don't lose much in my breasts because mine are mostly breast tissue and not fatty tissue. If you want them to appear larger in clothes, you can get those "chicken cutlet" inserts from department stores that you can put into your bra. They make your bra into a push up bra. I have found that Victoria Secret Miraculous bra line is fantastic for making you look "full" again.

I hope this helps!

thanks hteep! Mine are gone, seriously gone, however, the skin is there, its like flat pancakes!!! I seriously have to about roll them up to get them in my bra comfortably...sigh

I am back! I am excited to say that I am back on MRC. I had to stop due to medical issues, but I went completely off program and have almost gained all of my weight back. I have jumped in feet first. I went to my center and start pre-conditioning tomorrow. Wish me luck. I am happy to be back on the forum. :)

Had a good weigh in yesterday. Had lost what I had gained (was up from eating some carbs and salt)....and I'm feeling great back on program fully after the holidays.

School started back yesterday, so I'm back in my regular routine. Ready to lose!

Oh yeah...something strange happened last night. Let me tell you about my day...

Ate lunch at 2 (chicken, broccoli..only half the serving...just didn't want it, and an orange and HNS). In class until 5...drank an HNS then did an hour long power Zumba class (very high intensity). After working out, I had to go back to campus for 30 minutes, then I went to get takeout as I was home along and HATE cooking for one. While waiting on my chicken salad, I started feeling light headed. It wasn't too bad, so I got my food and went home. It was about 8 p.m. I was on the phone with my best friend while driving home...and she said my speech was starting to sound funny. Then I got light headed more, naseaus, and my hands were shaking. Once I started eating, I felt better...but the shaking didn't stop. I went to bed early and woke up ok today. I think I had a sugar drop. But isn't this program all about keeping your sugar in the right place? Any ideas why this happened or things to do in the future? It was scary being home alone and having this happen.

Sounds exactly like you had a sugar drop. Since you ate only a 1/2-size lunch and then had a high-intensity workout, I would bet that contributed to it. Next time, in addition to drinking a supp before your workout, try also downing one right after. This will probably help. Either that, or your electrolytes were out of balance... which can be helped by eating a clementine (high in potassium) or sipping a little gatorade or something. Not on program, I know, but your health and well-being come first.

Well, my grazing has caught up with me. I'm up another 1.5 lbs. I also think it didn't help that I had shrimp and sirloin when we ate out last night, so I got some extra salt.

Still, I need to recommit now. It's just really hard today to resist the announcement in my meeting right now that "We have fresh brownies and cookies over here for you!" during the break. :(

I am so glad I don't work in an environment where people are always bringing in food. That would be really tough. People here use to, but seems like everyone all got more health oriented. Or maybe they just learned that it wasn't worth spending hard-earned money unnecessarily.

I am recommitting with you!

Stay strong teacherlady!

Grazing and such was exactly what made me gain last week! I was up 3 pounds (some water and salt weight...but still!)

Stop it now before you lose control! You are stronger than those brownies and your hard work is worth much more than a cookie.

I'm still not doing well with my plan. I am about 60% OP. I was considering quitting and going to Weight Watchers, and then I decided that wasn't the answer. I need to stick with this and get through it. Now that the "honeymoon" is over, I have to find a way to make this lifestyle work. I am going to talk to someone at MRC tomorrow and hope that they can help me get back on track.

I keep had two OP meals today (breakfast/lunch) and then when dinner came around I just didn't want to do it. I wanted something different. I use the recipes and experiment a lot, but its not working. I really hope that I can get some clarity tomorrow. Wish me luck and I hope you all are doing great!

I went through the same thing after I lost about 10-15lbs. I just didn't want to do it anymore. I ended up having a mini-rebellion and a bad attitude for a week or so, but then I convinced myself I just needed to suck it up and get back on track.

You can do it!

I ended up withstanding the torture of the brownies and cookies. Mostly. I had one bite of brownie, and then I made myself throw it away and then sit as far away from the snack table as possible for the rest of the meeting (I could still SMELL the treats, though, grrr).

I was pretty mad at myself for having gained another pound, so I took it out during my workout. I'm actually pretty proud of myself--my endurance and heartrate have really improved in the last couple weeks! I ended up biking for 17 mins, then running on the elliptical for 23 mins. It's been a long time since I've been able to work out that long and that hard without feeling like I was dying!

Tomorrow is a new day, and a new start for me. I'm ready to get these last 20 lbs off!

Good luck to you Teacherlady! Stay strong and get off those last 20 pounds!

I made a yummy lunch dessert today! Strawberries and cream!

I took a serving of frozen strawberries....microwaved them until warm and soft. Then I took a vanilla pudding supplement and mixed it in and squished up the strawberries and about a tablespoon or two of water with the supplement until smooth and creamy.

It was creamy and sweet and warm and yummy!

Nothing to it!

I am doing much better after talking to the ladies at MRC. I put a full update in the "I binged." thread. Thanks y'all!

Definitely a sugar low and as teacherlady said, it's because you didn't eat your full meal (that's part of the science, full meal at the recommended time keeps your insulin level). Plus, an hour long cardio workout on this diet with the restricted calories could cause a sugar dip. When that happens to me (I was pre-diabetic when I went on the program), I pound an extra HNS right away and take it easy.

I'm doing well on pre-cond. and getting my menu tomorrow. Wish me luck ladies. Here is to another OP day!

Good luck and welcome back! :D

UGH. So stressed today, and I just feel the urge to put stuff in my mouth! I've already gone through 2 pieces of gum in an attempt to avoid anything with actual calories.

I'm sorry, ladies, I'm just going to vent here about what's stressing me out, as I can't really talk to anyone else about it right this minute, and I need to stop dwelling on it and focus on something else. Feel free to skip this part. ;) I'm sorry if it's super long. I will try to summarize briefly at the end.

So, my husband has become friends with some of my friends (naturally), and for a year or so he's played Dungeons & Dragons monthly with my best friend's husband and a couple of his friends (yes, my husband is a nerd). They are also all "friends" on facebook. This is a highly intelligent group of people (sometimes I feel like an idiot when I read their posts/comments on FB). Recently, my friend's husband posted an article about the abortion doctor killing babies--VERY late-term abortions--and causing a woman's death (I can post the link if you want, but trust me that you don't want to read it), and his comment was that this man's "disgustingness transcends the abortion argument." Then a couple of the D&D folks post about how the pro-lifers will probably use this article to fuel their side of the argument, when this is not how all abortionists are. My husband, who enjoys making shocking statements and/or jokes in bad taste just to get people going sometimes, made a few extreme statements and bad "jokes" in some of his comments. I can support his decision to voice his pro-life position, but even I felt he was in poor taste/borderline offensive. Unfortunately, he was also completely misunderstood (as often happens in online forums, given that tone, etc. are hard to communicate) and it caused everyone to be wildly offended. One person flat-out commented that they would no longer be attending the monthly D&D games, and another stated that he felt my husband "crossed a line" in which they "can no longer be acquaintances." Whether my friend's husband is mad, ambivalent, or in agreement, it also put him in an awkward position since this all happened on his FB wall, between his friends. When he tried to gently correct my husband via a comment, my husband either took it wrong or was oblivious to the fact that my friend's husband was giving him a graceful "out," and then he just dug the hole deeper. So now, my husband is upset (didn't sleep last night, was grouchy with me this morning), and I'm worried that he's managed to alienate my good friends. :?:

SUMMARY:
So, basically, my husband has angered (via facebook) friends of my close friends, and has been told by some of them that he's not allowed to play with them anymore (does this not remind you of the drama from our childhood????). I'm distressed because I'm worried that this will affect my friendship with my best friend and her husband, because it will either make things awkward, alienate them, or my husband's recent offense will reflect on me. I know my best friend won't let it affect OUR friendship (because she's awesome) but we often hang out all together and this will probably make that more difficult. I dropped my best friend an email this morning telling her that I don't understand what happened or what on earth hubby was thinking, and I asked her to call me after school today.

I know this isn't food related advice, but I study communication...and you are right- online communication is 90% read with a negative tone and misinterpreted. I would encourage your hubby to take a deep breath and reach out (not over FB, email or text) but to call these people. Don't talk it out over the phone either. They should all meet (at a public place so it doesn't get out of hand in anger) and talk about it. Chances are, your husband can explain he was being extreme for a joke, and apologize that it was taken wrong. He doesn't have to be sorry for what he said. He is allowed to think and believe however he wants. But he should apologize to his friends for being offensive with those thoughts and beliefs.

Hopefully, everyone can act like adults (instead of saying "I won't play with you") and look past this one random event in terms of their friendship.

As for you, drink lots of water and keep on that gum. You will feel worse if you eat on top of this stress!

Thanks Debi :)

I agree with Britt. Great advice!

I agree with Britt as well. If they are unwilling to meet with him I would maybe suggest a letter mailed to each individual. I think clearing the air as soon as possible will help. Maybe not right away, but if he is willing to be the adult and show his fault then they should be willing to forgive. Good luck.

Try to not stress about it. It will work itself out. Mayeb something better will come out of the situation.

Teacherlady, so sorry -- it is so amazing that these sort of circumstances can cause to much confusion, misinterpretation, and hurt. All I can do is offer my prayers as I know that God can help get it all worked out. Don't allow it to throw off your focus! It will pass and perhaps when the air is cleared, you will all find yourselves even closer than before -- at least I hope so!

So, I went for my 1st wi today since being on pre-conditioning and am down 4lbs! Yay! I was put on the Meta-Slim menu that starts with the "yellow" menu. Anyone have any tips on how to eat so much food? I was previously on Meta-Slim, but the 2 meal plan....so I am sure this is going to take some getting used to.


http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt...arF/weight.png

THanks for the advice and thoughts, all.

I stuck it out yesterday and didn't graze or binge, and then I made myself go to yoga class last night (even though it was cold and I was tired and just wanted to curl up on the couch with a movie). I'm so glad I did all that, too! I weighed in this morning, and I"m -3.5lbs, so I've lost what I had gained the last couple weeks, plus some. :D

I made hubby go see his counselor yesterday afternoon (he hadn't been in a couple months--he has anxiety and PTSD issues, but had been doing considerably better until recently) to talk out his social blunder so he can figure out for himself what he needs to do. He ended up doing exactly what you suggested, razorbackbritt-- he sent an email to the folks he offended, apologizing and asking to meet up sometime. I chatted with my friend, and she's fine and thinks her husband really isn't upset or anything (he can get along with anyone--he has so many friends who have radically different views from him, yet he still gets along with them. I think he's the most patient person in the world, lol), so we're ok on that front.

Funny story: At yoga last night, we were in a weird bendy pose, kind of like a lunge, but all bent over funky, and I looked under my armpit to the mirror on the wall behind me (I like to make sure I'm positioned correctly, and even though we're not supposed to do it, I secretly check to see how everyone else is doing and/or whether I'm the only one struggling, etc). Anyway, I looked behind me, and saw the gal that was behind and to the side of me in the mirror, and then I saw someone else's rear end. I thought, "Huh, I thought we were the only two girls in the class tonight. Who is that?" Then I looked more closely at the yoga pants and realized IT WAS ME! My rear and legs have gotten skinny enough that I didn't even recognize my own butt! ;)