Originally Posted by momoffour:
WI today - lost 2 lbs this week for a total of 13.5 in about 3 weeks including preconditioning. 11.5 of those pounds are fat lost! Yeah and I have lost, never to find again, 16.5 inches!!!! I was not sure how my inches would be since I am not using any of the extra supplements, but so far so good. :carrot::cb::dancer::broc:

Mariah

This is a great weight loss and loss of inches.. So happy for you . When you say you are not using any of the extra supplements are you talking about HNS
drinks or pill form supplements or both. I have a friend who went back on the plan and uses none of the above, and she is losing, so just curious.

Patzi

Originally Posted by patzi:
Hi..
Congratulations to all the losers, and thanks teacher lady relative data on stuffing.. I will try it .

I weighed in today, 4th day in on stabilization week 1, and added beans as a starch one day, and gained .6 pounds.. I was OP all the way, so hopefully, Tuesday will be better... I was to add a starch today also, which I did, as I am to add it every other day. If my scale says I gained tomorrow or Sunday, will not add any more starches for the week..

Have a wonderful evening.

Patzi

I wouldn't worry too much about it - I'm sure it's just water. Remember carboHYDRATES have water in them. I don't think this diet is sustainable long term without carbs, so you may have to deal with a couple of pounds of water weight in order to eat them. I bet you anything you're still burning fat, though. I'm still decreasing in fat % and I've been stable since October.

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
For those of you that are on Plateaus right now...

(Quoted from MRC literature)

"Plateaus are where the REAL fat loss occurs! Your body begins to retain water to maintain the shape and configuration of its cells as fat is lost. Cell must maintain a certain shape or they may collapse. Now this is important. Water is heavier than fat and so, while your weight may remain stable or even increase you are actually losing fat. As the water is maintaining the shape of your cells, fat is being lost from the cells. So even though your scales may indicate otherwise, YOU ARE REALLY WINNING THE LOSING BATTLE!"

I hope this helps some of you (and me in the future) to understand and not get tooooo frustrated.

I wi'ed today and only lost half a pound, but there was only one day between the weigh ins, so I am not unhappy with it. Start the Meta Balance menu tomorrow.

Thanks for posting this. I've been OP and stuck this week. It may also be because I haven't walked any this week due to injuring my foot on Sunday. I can tell that's made a difference for me. Hopefully next week will be better. Until then, I'll just keep drinking my water. :)

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
For those of you that are on Plateaus right now...

(Quoted from MRC literature)

"Plateaus are where the REAL fat loss occurs! Your body begins to retain water to maintain the shape and configuration of its cells as fat is lost. Cell must maintain a certain shape or they may collapse. Now this is important. Water is heavier than fat and so, while your weight may remain stable or even increase you are actually losing fat. As the water is maintaining the shape of your cells, fat is being lost from the cells. So even though your scales may indicate otherwise, YOU ARE REALLY WINNING THE LOSING BATTLE!"

I hope this helps some of you (and me in the future) to understand and not get tooooo frustrated.

I wi'ed today and only lost half a pound, but there was only one day between the weigh ins, so I am not unhappy with it. Start the Meta Balance menu tomorrow.

I know this, but it's still frustrating. It's only compounded when my center starts pressuring me to try phentatrim or other stuff to break the plateau. They are really not happy with how slowly I've been losing for the last 2 months--mostly because I've been losing, then gaining, then losing, then gaining the same 2 pounds over and over. This is different from a normal "plateau," I think.

I'm sure part of it is that this is where my body is most comfortable--this is the weight I was able to maintain at the longest the last time I lost weight (I had gotten down to 190, then slowly gained to 210, then maintained 210 for about 3-4 years before starting to gain again).

I would just really like to get down to 200 so I have some "wiggle room" and can plan on keeping my weight between 200 and 210 (or, preferably, 195-205, but I'll take what I can get at this point).

Question: How do you weigh yourself? IE: I have always weighed first thing in the morning, without clothes. Since I am losing my weight for me, I still weigh every morning. BUT... Weigh ins at the center are twice a week and (usually for me) in the middle of the afternoon, so like yesterday, I weighed at home and my weight was 142.5, but by the time I got to MRC, I had eaten Breakfast and lunch, as well as drinking water all morning, so my weight for them was 145.5 (still a loss from last wi). Now... This morning when I weighed, my scale (calibrated like thiers) says 141.5. Since I know morning weight is my true weight and the one I go by in my daily life, I want to claim this number as my weight, but feel like I am cheating, because theirs will be a bit more than mine when the next weigh in happens, so if I say I lost 4lbs this week, but theirs says 3lbs..... we both are right, but which one do Y'all claim??

I

Teacherlady 79 ....i am with the MRC center at Omaha, NE and i understand your pain. the whole of last week i did not loose anything and since feb 2011 i have lost only 12 lbs... they are pretty unhappy with me too. i would appreciate all the tips to get going again... i really feel sad and unhappy

R

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
Hey guys, I was given a tip yesterday that might help everyone here also. Did you know that water actually interferes with digestion? Don't drink any water 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a meal to let your body digest your food properly.

This is a great tip! I've had to watch this because I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) along with a spastic colon. So my doctor has told me for years not to drink any liquids while eating. It's hard to time out the 30 minutes, sometimes.. but I can tell a difference by following this tip.

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
Question: How do you weigh yourself? IE: I have always weighed first thing in the morning, without clothes. Since I am losing my weight for me, I still weigh every morning. BUT... Weigh ins at the center are twice a week and (usually for me) in the middle of the afternoon, so like yesterday, I weighed at home and my weight was 142.5, but by the time I got to MRC, I had eaten Breakfast and lunch, as well as drinking water all morning, so my weight for them was 145.5 (still a loss from last wi). Now... This morning when I weighed, my scale (calibrated like thiers) says 141.5. Since I know morning weight is my true weight and the one I go by in my daily life, I want to claim this number as my weight, but feel like I am cheating, because theirs will be a bit more than mine when the next weigh in happens, so if I say I lost 4lbs this week, but theirs says 3lbs..... we both are right, but which one do Y'all claim??

I always claimed the heavier. I know right now that might seem odd, but when you get to the end and they want to start you on stabilization, you might be happier to have that extra pound off. I was anyway. Could be the exact opposite for others.

Originally Posted by pbolton1:
I always claimed the heavier. I know right now that might seem odd, but when you get to the end and they want to start you on stabilization, you might be happier to have that extra pound off. I was anyway. Could be the exact opposite for others.

You have a very good point there. MRC wants me to stop losing at 121.5lbs and I don't want to stop until 115. So that is actually perfect for me. But what about for here on the board? Do you still stick with the heavier weight?

Originally Posted by nair:
Teacherlady 79 ....i am with the MRC center at Omaha, NE and i understand your pain. the whole of last week i did not loose anything and since feb 2011 i have lost only 12 lbs... they are pretty unhappy with me too. i would appreciate all the tips to get going again... i really feel sad and unhappy

R

Have you been following the program completely or are you having difficulty and doing a bit of cheating? What program are you on and what suppliments? Maybe we can help you out some.

Well...I'm back as a LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!

I am so glad I did it. I am also glad I waited until now. There were many people there far heavier and unhealthier than I am, and they were struggling all day. I felt great! I never got hungry during the day, but I got tired. I think I had little hunger because I drank so much water. So when I got tired feeling, I ate a snack...and then felt better. I love learning to read my body better to give it what it needs!

(For food, I had a protein meal replacement shake, HNS and apple for breakfast....some nuts for a snack, a chicken salad, orange, cheese and HNS for lunch, and cheese, apple and bar for an after workout refuel to drive home....lots of food, yes...but we danced for 3-4 hours today...so I'm not worried about it).

I even got a few compliments on my shape (my back and butt to be specific) and I was super happy about that.

Ladies, go for the things you want. Don't be afraid, and don't wait until your goal. I am still 30 pounds away from goal, but did this with ease and felt great about it.

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
Well...I'm back at a LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!

I am so glad I did it. I am also glad I waited until now. There were many people there far heavier and unhealthier than I am, and they were struggling all day. I felt great! I never got hungry during the day, but I got tired. I think I had little hunger because I drank so much water. So when I got tired feeling, I ate a snack...and then felt better. I love learning to read my body better to give it what it needs!

(For food, I had a protein meal replacement shake, HNS and apple for breakfast....some nuts for a snack, a chicken salad, orange, cheese and HNS for lunch, and cheese, apple and bar for an after workout refuel to drive home....lots of food, yes...but we danced for 3-4 hours today...so I'm not worried about it).

I even got a few compliments on my shape (my back and butt to be specific) and I was super happy about that.

Ladies, go for the things you want. Don't be afraid, and don't wait until your goal. I am still 30 pounds away from goal, but did this with ease and felt great about it.

Congrats! THat's fantastic!

That's how I felt about my kayaking class. It's not something I ever would have done before I started losing weight, and I was so happy that I did it and that it wasn't terribly difficult (because I've gotten into much better shape) or embarrassing. :)

Originally Posted by patzi:
This is a great weight loss and loss of inches.. So happy for you . When you say you are not using any of the extra supplements are you talking about HNS
drinks or pill form supplements or both. I have a friend who went back on the plan and uses none of the above, and she is losing, so just curious.

Patzi

No additional pill form supplements. I use 4 HNS and Krill oil from MRC. I also use a One A day MV from Walmart.

Mariah

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
Well...I'm back as a LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!

I am so glad I did it. I am also glad I waited until now. I even got a few compliments on my shape (my back and butt to be specific) and I was super happy about that.

Ladies, go for the things you want. Don't be afraid, and don't wait until your goal. I am still 30 pounds away from goal, but did this with ease and felt great about it.

That is so AWESOME! CONGRATS! :cheer2: Thank's for the encouragement. I am planning to train for a marathon for October 2012 and am terrified already, so I really appreciate the encouragement to not be afraid. (I had planned on doing a 1/2 marathon this fall, but just found out is has been canceled for this year due to road construction.

Mariah

So this morning, I looked at my pictures from the Zumba training, and ya'll, I almost don't recognize myself! Look at this before (last summer in July...and I started MRC in September) and yesterday at training.

Just wanted to share what 40 pounds looks like gone!

http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/t...l40729/fat.jpg
http://i596.photobucket.com/albums/t.../IMG_02112.jpg

WOw. You even look more comfortable! You look fantastic! :)

Originally Posted by struggling Nicole:
I FINALLY hit the 40 lb board! I got my rock, signed the board, and jumped for joy. I am going to set up my stabilization appointment next week. I rewarded myself today with new workout pants and three new shirts SIZE SMALL. Life is so crazy here right now. My son is still having seizures and we are constantly seeing or talking to doctors. I'm a bit stressed but am so relieved I am this close to goal. (They are actually trying to convince me to stick with a higher goal weight. 133 or 135 is where they would like me to be.)
I'm so thankful I found this site. It has been my saving grace. I may not always have something to say, but I love listening to others. Keep posting and working on yourself the end results are awesome!

Way to go! That is such an accomplishment!

Originally Posted by teacherlady79:
Alright, now I'm starting to get frustrated. I've been pretty much 100% on plan since my weigh in on Tuesday, and I am up 1/2lb again today.

It could partly be because I weighed in today instead of Saturday (my usual day--but work took me near the center this afternoon, and I didn't want to drive all the way across the city again tomorrow), but I've done three-day weigh-ins before with no problem.

I'm thinking I'll probably do Metaquick tomorrow and Sunday, possibly Monday, too, and then see how I'm doing.

It's just getting really really hard to lose the weight now that I'm so close to goal. And I"m so ready to be done and start stabilization and maintenance, so this is frustrating.

If I still don't lose a decent amount (1-3 lbs) by Monday, I might ask about just switching over to the green menu early (instead of 10 lbs from now). If they refuse, I might see about switching to metabalance instead--maybe I'm not getting enough calories, rather than too many.

Any other ideas? I"ve been eating more raw veggies, added fiber drinks, maxing out my HNS, and adding more variety for my proteins. And drinking extra water.

They did allow me to go over to the green menu when I still had a few pounds to get under 200. They may suggest that for you as well. Good luck.

Razorbackbritt - You look incredible! Congratulations on the 40 lb loss and obtaining your zumba certification.

Originally Posted by hatethesweatpants:
I wouldn't worry too much about it - I'm sure it's just water. Remember carboHYDRATES have water in them. I don't think this diet is sustainable long term without carbs, so you may have to deal with a couple of pounds of water weight in order to eat them. I bet you anything you're still burning fat, though. I'm still decreasing in fat % and I've been stable since October.

Patzi, thanks for keeping us up to date. I am glad to be able to see what is coming!

Hatethesweatpants, thanks for the explanation about this. It makes sense and I hope it makes Patzi feel better about the gain.

Struggling Nicole, congrats on nearing stabilization. We may begin it around the same time!

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
Well...I'm back as a LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!

I am so glad I did it. I am also glad I waited until now. There were many people there far heavier and unhealthier than I am, and they were struggling all day. I felt great! I never got hungry during the day, but I got tired. I think I had little hunger because I drank so much water. So when I got tired feeling, I ate a snack...and then felt better. I love learning to read my body better to give it what it needs!

(For food, I had a protein meal replacement shake, HNS and apple for breakfast....some nuts for a snack, a chicken salad, orange, cheese and HNS for lunch, and cheese, apple and bar for an after workout refuel to drive home....lots of food, yes...but we danced for 3-4 hours today...so I'm not worried about it).

I even got a few compliments on my shape (my back and butt to be specific) and I was super happy about that.

Ladies, go for the things you want. Don't be afraid, and don't wait until your goal. I am still 30 pounds away from goal, but did this with ease and felt great about it.

Congratulations! What a great accomplishment. Zumba sounds like a lot of fun, I will have to try it one day.

You look so great! I had to edit my post after I saw your pictures! WOW!

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
Question: How do you weigh yourself? IE: I have always weighed first thing in the morning, without clothes. Since I am losing my weight for me, I still weigh every morning. BUT... Weigh ins at the center are twice a week and (usually for me) in the middle of the afternoon, so like yesterday, I weighed at home and my weight was 142.5, but by the time I got to MRC, I had eaten Breakfast and lunch, as well as drinking water all morning, so my weight for them was 145.5 (still a loss from last wi). Now... This morning when I weighed, my scale (calibrated like thiers) says 141.5. Since I know morning weight is my true weight and the one I go by in my daily life, I want to claim this number as my weight, but feel like I am cheating, because theirs will be a bit more than mine when the next weigh in happens, so if I say I lost 4lbs this week, but theirs says 3lbs..... we both are right, but which one do Y'all claim??

I claim morning, naked, after bathroom, before breakfast. :D

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
Ladies, go for the things you want. Don't be afraid, and don't wait until your goal. I am still 30 pounds away from goal, but did this with ease and felt great about it.

This is so encouraging, thank you! Especially to hear it in the context of Zumba. Zumba looks like so much fun, but I'm a little intimidated by it. :^: Maybe I'll give it a try. Is there anything you can compare Zumba to? Like if you can do "X", you can do Zumba?

[QUOTE=Razorbackbritt;3766486]
Just wanted to share what 40 pounds looks like gone!
QUOTE]

You look amazing - thanks for sharing the pictures!

Mariah

Originally Posted by mandiana:
This is so encouraging, thank you! Especially to hear it in the context of Zumba. Zumba looks like so much fun, but I'm a little intimidated by it. :^: Maybe I'll give it a try. Is there anything you can compare Zumba to? Like if you can do "X", you can do Zumba?

Well that's kind of the thing about Zumba...its unliuke anything else! It really is a party atmosphere workout. The great thing is, the more you go, the better you get at the moves. When I first started, I was scared and didn't really like it until about a month's worth of classes.

If you like to dance (like at a club or party)...or you have enough rythym to do the macarena, you can zumba easily. When you go, tell the instructor you are new, they should help you modify the moves for a beginner.

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
You have a very good point there. MRC wants me to stop losing at 121.5lbs and I don't want to stop until 115. So that is actually perfect for me. But what about for here on the board? Do you still stick with the heavier weight?

Too confusing to me :D I need to change my ticker actually...I gained a bit over the winter--working on taking it off now.

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
So this morning, I looked at my pictures from the Zumba training, and ya'll, I almost don't recognize myself! Look at this before (last summer in July...and I started MRC in September) and yesterday at training.

Just wanted to share what 40 pounds looks like gone!

Yeah and YEAH!

Razorbackbritt you look awesome! Congrats on the Zumba certification too!!!! :cheer::cheer::cheer:

Thanks you guys! I didn't realize how great I was looking until I looked at those pictures! ha! That sounds really full of myself, but its true!

Originally Posted by Razorbackbritt:
Thanks you guys! I didn't realize how great I was looking until I looked at those pictures! ha! That sounds really full of myself, but its true!

Razorbackbrit..
You look fantastic! You should be real proud of yourself.. Congrats on the zumba license instructor certificate..

Patzi

Originally Posted by GoalBound:
Have you been following the program completely or are you having difficulty and doing a bit of cheating? What program are you on and what suppliments? Maybe we can help you out some.

GoalBound i have not been cheating at all and i take 3fish oil and 1 multiitamin and 4 HNS and i am on the Beige menu. i used to take 2 Phentatrim but i stopped taking them. i also take 1 B6 and 1 B12 and 1 Guggul supplement. i also do the treadmill for 45 mins daily ( on 3 speed and 1 incline). i also drink about 10 cups of water a day. mainly my diet consists of fish, tomatoes, radish, cottage cheese, eggs ,melba toast ...i still gag on tuna and chicken breast .... pls help me... so far i have lost only 12 lbs in 5 weeks and i am desperate.

R

Originally Posted by nair:
GoalBound i have not been cheating at all and i take 3fish oil and 1 multiitamin and 4 HNS and i am on the Beige menu. i used to take 2 Phentatrim but i stopped taking them. i also take 1 B6 and 1 B12 and 1 Guggul supplement. i also do the treadmill for 45 mins daily ( on 3 speed and 1 incline). i also drink about 10 cups of water a day. mainly my diet consists of fish, tomatoes, radish, cottage cheese, eggs ,melba toast ...i still gag on tuna and chicken breast .... pls help me... so far i have lost only 12 lbs in 5 weeks and i am desperate.

R

I think the MRC 6 really makes a difference, so maybe you could try that. My center told me NOT to do too much exercise right now and to only walk for 30 - 45 minutes 3 times a week. Something to do with it counter acting the diet. There is also a suppliment call Fat & Carb Blocker that runs $30 here, 2 pills before you eat anything ought to help also. Anything to just get you kick started. DON'T GIVE UP!! Some of us just take longer to lose then others. I know that doesn't help how you are feeling, but 12 lbs is nothing to sneeze at in 5 weeks.. that equals out to 2.4 lbs a week and is good. Losing too much, too fast, would just come back to haunt you in the long run.

Hey, GoalBound, what part of North Louisiana are you in? I go to the Bossier MRC Center. They are great there!!! Started in late Jan. Got off track. Starting again tomorrow on 2 meal plan. So excited!!! I know it works!

Originally Posted by mamateach:
Hey, GoalBound, what part of North Louisiana are you in? I go to the Bossier MRC Center. They are great there!!! Started in late Jan. Got off track. Starting again tomorrow on 2 meal plan. So excited!!! I know it works!

LOL That's the one I use also!! Small world! We may have to get together and compare notes! :D When did you do your menu class? This past Friday? If so, then you know who I am, if not, great to meet you!

Originally Posted by nair:
Teacherlady 79 ....i am with the MRC center at Omaha, NE and i understand your pain. the whole of last week i did not loose anything and since feb 2011 i have lost only 12 lbs... they are pretty unhappy with me too. i would appreciate all the tips to get going again... i really feel sad and unhappy

R

Slow downs and plateaus are really normal - please don't be too down on yourself. I know that it's difficult to work so hard and not lose for a week, but it has happened to all of us. Please take heart that even if you're not losing a pound that week that you are still making your body healthier and doing a good thing for yourself! I read your later post about what you are eating and how you are exercising. If there is any way to add more variety to your menu, it will help. Sometimes our bodies are very adaptable and get used to what we're eating. Have you tried ground turkey or bison? When I plateaued, I added ground bison a couple of mornings for breakfast and it really jump started my metabolism. Switching things up really helps. As far as exercise, as long as you're not going too hard on the treadmill, you should be ok. I lost the most at first by doing about 2-3 45min walks/week. When I started exercising a lot more, I had to switch to a different menu.

Hang in there and know that plateaus are normal, even if they are extremely frustrating!

So this morning, my weight was up 1 pounds! It was at 171! Ugh!

I know some of that is extra water from my extra carbs and working out at my workshop, but really....back into the 170s? Ugh!

I made myself promise to stay 100% OP this week....all my food, all my pills, and 4 HNS every day. I am on Spring Break, and its easy to go off plan while traveling and stuff. But I'm going to do it! I want to show a loss next week.

Hi Ladies - I have been reading your posts for several weeks and decided to join today. I started Pre-Conditioning on MRC and lost 3 pounds. I started on Meta Slim Plus (cream colored sheet) on Saturday March 19. I was told to drink 3-5 HNS a day and I'm finding that it isn't diffiuclt. I like the taste so that helps. I will be weighing in twice a week to protect my investment in the program.

I am excited to join MRC and this forum and hope to learn a lot! I do have a question... for the veggie serving it is 4 oz. cooked or 8 oz. raw. If I mix the veggies on the list up to 4 oz. is that OK? For example, last night I made cucumbers, bean sprouts and cabbage - up to 4 oz.

Does anyone ever go over their Olive Oil allotment for the day?

Let me know what you think.
Thanks!

[QUOTE=Razorbackbritt;3766486]So this morning, I looked at my pictures from the Zumba training, and ya'll, I almost don't recognize myself! Look at this before (last summer in July...and I started MRC in September) and yesterday at training.

Just wanted to share what 40 pounds looks like gone!




Congrats! I'm hoping once I lose some weight and get more active that I will be able to take Zumba classes!

Originally Posted by carmendmv:
Hi Ladies - I have been reading your posts for several weeks and decided to join today. I started Pre-Conditioning on MRC and lost 3 pounds. I started on Meta Slim Plus (cream colored sheet) on Saturday March 19. I was told to drink 3-5 HNS a day and I'm finding that it isn't diffiuclt. I like the taste so that helps. I will be weighing in twice a week to protect my investment in the program.

I am excited to join MRC and this forum and hope to learn a lot! I do have a question... for the veggie serving it is 4 oz. cooked or 8 oz. raw. If I mix the veggies on the list up to 4 oz. is that OK? For example, last night I made cucumbers, bean sprouts and cabbage - up to 4 oz.

Does anyone ever go over their Olive Oil allotment for the day?

Let me know what you think.
Thanks!

Yay congrats on starting this journey! Yeah, if I make several veggies, I count 4 oz. cooked...or on a big salad...8 ounces raw. Same if mixed...like I have a big 8 ounce salad for lunch of spinach, tomato, cucumber and green onion.

I hardly ever use all my olive oil. I use cooking spray to cook my meats and veggies. I only use olive oil in a salad dressing. Fats are full of calories, so I would be careful using more than allowed....as it will give you many extra calories. I think one tablespoon of the olive oil I have at home is 120 calories...