My center was fine with me adding the little weights. It's not really considered lifting weights or strength training. It increases cardio and calorie loss. I'm not using them to pump me up. Without the weights, I was always walking with my arms down or holding onto the treadmill... that's not optimal exercising. By adding the weights. I kept my arms swinging and I was doing different motions with them. Like swinging out in front of me then down to the sides. Or kinda punching with them and keeping my elbow bent up and dropping them down to my sides. It felt really good! And I don't care if I looked silly.. I'm losing this weight and that's all that matters :carrot:

Well, I slept like crap again last night from the stuffy nose and drainage and sleeping sitting up. I woke up at 4am and felt like I was drowning--my nose was completely blocked, and I had tons of drainage in my lungs. I got up and took a long, steamy shower, and that helped.

After taking all my meds this morning with an HNS (pseudofed, mucinex, antibiotic, tylenol, and steroid spray in my nose) my stomach got upset. I brought a bar with me to work in case my stomach settled, but no go. Even thinking about the bar made me more nauseated. I finally gave up and went upstairs (we have a cafeteria in our building) and got a small bagel and cream cheese (for the first time since August!). I ate it slowly, and now my stomach feels lots better.

I feel sorta bad for going so off plan, but I'm so grateful that I don't feel nauseated anymore that I'm mostly ok with it. Sometimes you just gotta eat what your body needs, and I just want to take care of myself and get over this crap quickly so I can get back to my exercise and diet.

Thanks so much for the info Rzrbackcandi! The Enhancer is suppose to "jump kick" your metabolism from what I am told. I think it also acts as an appetite suppresant. I can't wait to get my ticker! :D

I never even thought about the ticker as an additional motivator-great idea! I'm glad I am using all 3 supplements- I know the cortitrim has helped me, and hoping the enhancer adds an additional benefit- and sounds like it does with your weight loss! Thanks for everything. :)

Roasted broccoli and roasted eggplant are changing my life right now.

I was on a "I'm tired of veggies" kick...but I could eat these all day! so yummy!

I spritz with some olive oil (I have a Misto spritzer...or you could toss in a bit of oil) and sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper, lemon pepper on the broc and rosemary on the eggplant. Roast at 425 until starting to brown. DELISH!

AHHHHH!!!!! I just weighed in at lunch and at the almost 2 month point:

20 pounds!!!! 28.5 inches!!!! GONE!!!!!

I didn't think I was going to hit 20 pounds today. That's another 1.5 pounds since Monday. 3 pounds since last Wednesday! The week after TTOM ends is always good to me, but this is insane! I've lost 4 inches in my midsection and 3 3/4 in my waist (thank you, Cortitrim!)

This feels so much better than going off plan! ;) I can't wait to see what next month's numbers will be.

:woohoo:

Great work, rzrbackcandi!

pnvomaha, congrats on your loss!

JenB72, I'm like you- have a great drop once a month after TOM. 3 pounds is awesome.

teacherlady, I hope you feel better soon. You may find your weight loss hasn't slowed that much even if you've been off plan. Take care and listen to your body.

So far so great on my fully OP day after my cheating weekend and sick days. My parents are in town, so we are going for dinner...but I'm planning my dinner ahead so I order OP. Feeling good...

Take something you would eat, just make extra portions to feed everyone (save one separately for yourself).

I also am having everyone over for Easter - we're having fajitas though which is on plan. Also my family is really supportive - they are all bringing healthy sides (minus the tortillas) LOL.

Just went to cooking class last night, this is what was made:
Spicy Orange Chicken Salad (not that spicy and pieces of chicken & oranges) overall it wasn't too bad, but I didn't finish mine.

Mexican coleslaw - actually super awesome and not the typical coleslaw - we were even talking about throwing some chicken in it for a full meal.

Individual Meat Loaves - very good! She used lean ground round & the squash in it made it super moist. She made them small 1 oz portions.

Strawberry Parfait - she didn't make it like the cookbook (layered) she just topped it with strawberries - it was really good too.

Snacks: MRC Ranch Dill Dip, celery & melba rounds

If you need the recipes I have them. Otherwise they should be in the cookbook.

That's GREAT! I hope to be joining the "20lb club" Friday! Keep up the great work! :D

Thanks for the tips! I talked to my consultant about this last night and I have a game plan. I'm going to cook a little turkey breast in the crock pot and take that over with a bag of steamable green beans. Then for "dessert".. which would really be my fruit serving for lunch, I'm going to make a sugar free jello mold with berries. And I'm not shy.. so I'm taking my little scale over with me to weigh everything. I've got the plan set, so now I just have to execute and stick with it!

Another thing that was mentioned was making Italian turkey meatballs in the crock pot with the Walden Farms bbq sauce - many said the "thick and hearty" was the best tasting one and several raved about how good it was not even knowing Walden Farms was guilt free. There might have been additional Italian spices added as well - I can't remember.

WI after a massage or before??
 

I decided I would pamper myself this week because I was anticipating losing 20lbs. I have a hour & 1/2 massage scheduled Thursday evening from 7-8:30pm and was planning on going for WI Friday morning. I just WI Tuesday - should I WI Thursday evening or just go Friday morning? I know they have said to not exercise before coming in because your muscles expand and will retain water. I'm assuming massages are the same thing. Just didn't know if my muscles would have enough recoop time after my massage. Any thoughts?

Awesome numbers! I just started the corti-trim so I'm excited to see how much more I've lost with it added! I re-do my measurements and comp on Saturday morning.

Wow! That is wonderful! That is a lot of inches!!

Jen I am so happy for you.. You have done a great job..

Patzi

That is so awesome! Great job! :carrot:

Mariah

I had an awesome weekend. My birthday was last week and I attended 3 separate birthday celebrations on Friday, Sat, and Sunday in 3 separate towns. My eating was 100% OP, but with traveling I did not get all my water in and my exercise was almost nonexhistant. - Still very proud of myself for staying OP and eating when I was supposed to. . .

But then Monday came and old thinking returned - I "rewarded" myself for staying OP with a Cadbury egg - then felt guilty and a bit foolish but got right back OP.

I missed my weighin Tuesday because we had freezing rain and snow all day so I stayed home and spent most of the day craving sugar/chocolate/ bread . . . Planned to WI today but cat started acting sick last night, took her to the vet and she had surgery and this messed up the timing of my meals. I ate OP but at the wrong times. Decided to weigh in at home and showed a 2 lb gain. I know this could be for a million reasons, but now all I want is more chocolate! Who knew 1 little Cadbury egg could cause all these cravings!

Thanks for letting me vent and holding me accountable. I plan on weighing in tomorrow (Thur) and Sat and I am supposed to have measurements done. I'm trying not to stress out and will probably ask to wait until Sat for measurements just in case I am retaining some water from stress, lack of water and poor meal timing.

Oh I almost forgot, last night I received an invite to my 20th high school reunion. I now feel officially old! Thankfully it is in September so I could be close to goal if I can stay OP and hopefully this will motivate met. I weighed 205 when I graduated 168 would be very impressive.

Mariah

momoffour -

Sounds like you've had some crazy days this passed week. Happy Belated Birthday! And you should be proud of yourself for staying OP and not eating birthday cake. So, you slipped with a Cadbury Egg.. hopefully you can get back on the saddle and things start to settle down for you. I hope your cat is ok! :hug:

Mariah...
Happy Birthday..
You are disciplined and done so well, I am sure you will be fine, just get back on the band wagon and away you go.. Isn't it amazing how cravings manifest with eating something like a small Cadbury egg.. You have stayed OP for so long, this was just something that happened.Put it behind you and , I know will be on your way.

Hope your cat will be ok.

Patzi

So hard!
 

It has been so hard these last couple of weeks! I want to eat everything that is not OP! Do I just have to keep telling myself not to do it? I do so well for breakfast and lunch and then dinner... BAD! Help!

I think I now have signature priviledges! Can't wait to see my weight ticker going DOWN!

Mariah-- you did really well out of town, and you should be proud. Like the others said, just get back on the bandwagon and away you'll go!

pnvomaha--yes, just keep telling yourself "no." Another poster, Debi (hatesthesweatpants) always says that saying "no" to cravings is like exercising a muscle--the more you do it, the stronger you get against cravings. Every time you give in to a craving, you'll find that it actually makes the cravings worse--the more off-plan stuff you have (even just a bite), the more you'll want.


I didn't sleep great last night, but it was still the best night of sleep I've had in a week. I was able to get up at a reasonable time and get to work on time, too (lately I've had to get up early and still managed to get to work late due to coughing, blowing nose, general lethargy, etc.). I still feel pretty bad, but at least I feel a little human today. And my appetite is coming back--I walked a little after work yesterday (walking, for some reason, opens up my nasal passages), which made me hungry enough to eat a chicken salad. :)

Wow! Thanks for all the kind words. I feel like I finally got my mind in the right place this time around. Last year I tried to do this, but was going through postpartum depression. It just wasn't happening and I looked for every excuse in the book to go off plan.
Yeah, I was that bad. It's amazing how this is so much more of a mental journey than anything else. If you get your mind right, your body WILL follow.

Good luck to everyone on your journey! You CAN do it!!!

I Did It!
 

I went for my WI this morning.. since today is our Friday and there is no telling what time we'll get out of the office tonight.. plus my massage is scheduled for later tonight.

:cheer2: DOWN 22.5lbs in 27 days!!! :cheer2:

I'm SO happy right now! Even with my boss making me do stuff that he can do and getting on my nerves.. nothing is getting me off this high!

Well, I went for my weigh in...and I'm up .5 pound. Not bad considering an off program weekend, sick with tummy bug and not wanting to eat, and its TOM.

However, I did get ambushed at the center today. Apparently, they like to talk about me when I'm gone. (I'm sure they were discussing me and our Zumba class I taught last week)...but the manager and the counselor I was talking to suggested I go for 2-3 weeks of HCG. They know how tired I am of being on program, and how ready I am to be done, and how my time is almost up (I currently have until May 24). They told me I could knock out 10-15 pounds in a couple weeks and meet my goal in time.

Ya'll I KNOW this plan isn't the greatest, and its bad and all that....but for some reason, it sounded like an option. In my heart and gut, I REALLY don't want to do this in an unhealthy way...but I'm tempted. I'm doing some research and talking with my doctor to see what she thinks. I just don't know.

candi,

I'm so happy for you!

And you're so close to another milestone, too.

;)

Congratulations!!!!!! I am soooo happy for you!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Yes, a HUGE milestone for me is being under 300lbs. I haven't been under 300lbs in over 5 years. I'm hoping to get under 300 within the next 2 weeks. and signing the 30lb board within 3!

I hope you're starting to feel better and get back to normal. As for the HCG, I'm sure you'll make the decision that's right for you. Something to keep in mind, if you can go the long haul and do it without HCG, it may end up being much cheaper. The cost to re-enroll is significantly less than one month on HCG. If it's a time issue (being on plan for so long), I can totally understand you considering it.

Either way, you're doing awesome! Keep up the good work! :hug:

Britt - I know you will make the right decision for you. I actually know quite a few people that have done the HCG program and have been extremely successful.

And any chance you want to come to the Bentonville center for a Zumba class? :-)

Hi- It appears you have come so far and I know all about the feeling of getting bored and just wanting badly to be OP. Whatever decision you make it will be the right one for you.

Just want to share my experience. I was on HCG through MRC for 2 months- it was a hefty sum of money, but for me, I needed that restriction and big loss of weight immediately. Having said that, I lost 15 pounds/month for a total of 30 pounds. Not exactly what was advertised, but I was still very happy with the loss. I decided to transition off and go on METASLIM and not go through the HCG maintenance because of the BOREDOM I was having (not to mention unhealthly)- I just needed SOME FOOD. Just be careful that it does not backfire and you go OP ( I had 2 moments of cheating with some chocolate because i just needed something!!)

Good luck in getting the final little bit off- you have come SO FAR and look great. :D

I am really, really leary of the HCG. I've just heard so many bad things about it. My boss is doing it right now, and she's miserable, but determined.

Are you taking any thermogenic supplements from MRC? I was skeptical about those at first, but the phentatrim really seems to be helping me. If you haven't tried any of the additional supplements at MRC, I would try that first. It might be just the boost you need.

Britt - I know exactly how you are feeling. I have been on the plan for almost seven months now and struggling to take off every pound. For the past three weeks I have pretty much stayed the same weight. I told the center yesterday that maybe my body is happy being at his weight. I have never been a size 8 as an adult. When I come back from vacation in two weeks (going to St Maarten a week from Saturday), if I haven't lost anymore weight then I would like to consider going on stabilization. When I ran out of enhancer about a month ago I did not get another bottle. I just couldn't justify spending $90 if I am only losing 2 - 3 lbs a month (at that time). What I am really tired of is the going back n' forth with different consultants .. one will tell me to increase my water then another will tell me to decrease. One will tell me its ok to work out 4-5 days a week @ 50 mins a day but another will tell me absolutely only 30 mins 3x a week and no strengthing exercises. Grrr!! I know they are only trying to help but it is driving me crazy!

Just think about how one slip up can cost you 3 days of the program. My center said it takes about 3 days for your body to re-adjust from whatever you eat ... And that costs you money in the long run!

Just remember some of those goodies come back when you meet goal. Save it and savor it then!

You are doing such a great job! I'm only down 25 and its been 60 days as of Saturday! Keep going!!

I think it might be an OK short term solution. A girl at the cooking class has already lost 27lbs in 6 weeks (can I say jealous!). I asked her how she felt and she said great, she felt full all the time, sometimes she said she had to force herself to eat - so it sounds like its different for everyone.

Good luck making the right choice, you will make the right decision.

You're doing a great job! I think everyone processes things differently. I have just had so much stored fat for such a long time.. Plus I'm taking pretty much all the supplements. I'm hoping I can cut back on some but want to lose another 20 or so before I start playing around with that.

Keep up the great work!

Thanks for all the positive input. I appreciate everything anyone has to share since I'm just starting out. My question is why cant we have sugar free popcicles? just bizzare to me since in my head they are mainly water flavor and artifical sweetner....can someone help me make sense of this?

Just wanted to remind all that those "3 little letters" of that "certain program" could get our thread shut down, and possibly the MRC forum. See the sticky at the top of the page.