JenB72--thanks for always being so encouraging. I DID WI on Friday, and didn't lose anything--actually, I was up a lb., but I'd had lots of water, as it was late in the day. My scale at home said I hadn't gained anything. So--they switched me to the green menu. I was very frustrated and went home and ate cookies--sugar free cookies, but still cookies. Then I had a "real" bun with my Turkey burger and woke up this morning down 2lbs. I just don't get it, unless my body just needs a wake-up here and there. I'm going to stay pretty much OP tomorrow, and then start in on the green menu on Monday. I hope this green menu gives me a little kick, because this is going to be a LONG road if I only lose a lb or 2 every other week. I know, a loss is a loss, but FRUSTRATING! lol

Hello! Everyone has been doing so amazingly well while I've been on hiatus! I'm so happy and excited for all of the losses and achievements recorded here. It is truly inspiring!

My mom was here last week and I went waaaaaay off plan the entire week. I went to the center after dropping her off at the airport this morning and had only gained back 4 of my lost 8 pounds. I'm going to do preconditioning through Tuesday and FINALLY start the actual program on Wednesday. I'm ready to move forward!

RaRaF, when I WI last Friday (over a week ago, not the most recent Friday), I'd only lost a pound and was disappointed. I kept telling myself "a loss is a loss!" but that frustration was largely behind my conscious choice to go off plan all last week. I'm trying to say that I understand how you feel. And don't be like me!

For you that are allowed to have beans, I have made this recipe and tossed my allowance of beans in a salad .

I use Garbanzo beans, no salt added , brand name Eden.. Rinse very well.
Put in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, if allowed, if not use Pam , use some savory herb. I have one I buy from Frontier that is called Savory and it is wonderful.. Mix all together, bake in 350 for an houir. Time varies.. Also have used herbs as basil, oregano, garlic, and some soy parmesan cheese and baked.. Choice is yours. Oven temps vary.. Check.. They should be crunchy.

Watch these though, as they are good and you can eat too many. So use the allowed amount in your diet. In old days could eat the whole bunch as a snack, but that was then..
Patzi

I'm wondering if blue cheese is considered a hard cheese. Anyone know?

I'm almost positive it's not, but you should check with your center. They've always told me that hard cheese (except for the processed cheeses, too, of course) is anything easily sliced or shredded, so that cuts out stuff like brie, cream cheese, etc., and I would think blue cheese as well. Too bad, though, because that gives a lot of flavor for the weight.

I was afraid of that. Oh, well...

I should be kicking myself.

I went to a family pitch in and forgot my carb blocker. I DID exercise an extra half hour this morning in anticipation but I'm afraid I really overate at lunch.

I started out fine (a hamburger patty, fresh raw broccoli, and half an orange) and then as I sat there longer and longer talking with everyone it seemed as though the desserts moved out of the fuzzy periphery of my OP vision into a sharp focus that I couldn't ignore any longer. I ended up with a slice of cheesecake, a half cup of macaroni and cheese, and another hamburger patty.

I should have left the table earlier.

The worst part is that after a two week stall I finally dropped a little over a pound this morning and I am SO CLOSE to goal.

Such is life, I guess. I'm going to have some protein tonight or I'll wake up around 3am starving and craving more carbs.

I WI on Tuesdays so maybe I'll have time to lose whatever those cheats cost me in weight.

But, oh, my bruised sense of control....

little edie ~ you're still an inspiration. I feel motivated just by looking at your ticker. The important part is that you got right back op, right? I have only been at this a month and have already slipped once...it mostly just caused me to retain a lot of water. Great that you put extra effort into your workout, maybe that sweat the water out.

So many people reporting such great results. Whenever I feel weak - I just jump on here and read. Thanks everyone for sharing. I can add by saying I'm down a pound. I too wish it would be faster, but it is what ...

little edie .... don't worry and don't be too hard on yourself ... this journey is a life-long struggle for most of us and you will have ups and downs. We've never truly lost the fight unless we give up.

little edie-- it could have been much worse. I think you showed remarkable restraint at first. I'm not sure I could have/would have done that at a pitch in.

I went on a small bender this weekend, too. My husband has been on vacation for two weeks almost since the beginning of my program. Weekends are the hardest for me because that was usually when we went out or ordered pizza, etc. With him on vacation, every day has felt like a Saturday, and it was just really getting to me. On top of that, I had to cook or at least figure out something for him to eat twice a day instead of once. He's supportive, but he's not a fan of the MRC style food.

So, after two weeks of battling temptations, I caved on Saturday. We were out at the zoo and stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch (my decision-- he didn't throw me under the bus or anything). I ate about 1/4 of what I usually do but I did eat normal stuff. It only cost me 1/2 lb. the next morning. If I had stopped there, it might not have been so bad...but I ate pizza the next day, too. Again, 1/2 what I usually do, but still. So, now I'm really holding onto the water. Today has been perfect, and thank goodness my husband goes back to work tomorrow, so we can get back to our routine. It should be much easier for me after that. I'm just dreading WI on Tuesday when I may have to face a gain and face the consultant...

Wanna lose a pound in a hurry? I did today and it was real easy. I donated blood. :dancer:

Wasn't thinking about the weight loss when I donated, but after I saw that bag of blood when I was done I was curious and looked it up. Turns out a pint of blood weighs close to a pound. LOL

In all seriousness, my daughter was in the NICU for 6 weeks after she was born (2 months early). Towards the end of her stay, she needed a blood transfusion. I try to donate at least once or twice a year in honor of her. :)



RaRaF, tkdtara84 & Letherout - You'll get that scale next time. Just get back OP and re-commit. :hug:

victorialynn2 - Blue cheese is a semi-soft cheese. Sorry! :(

Little Edie - It happens to the best of us. You'll be at that goal in no time. :cheer:

Little Edie..
You will be fine.. You are dedicated and had a slip up. Most important is you realize what you did and went back OP. Just look at the weight you have lost so far. You have done so well, so it will all work out. If a gain, and you stay OP, you will take it off. As far as facing the consultant, you are in control of your weight loss and this challenge, so don't worry about that. If you state what happened, she should advise you how to get it off, as I feel that is their job. Today drink lots and lots of water, and all your protein drinks,and you may surprise yourself, there could be no gain and all. We are here for you.

Patzi

Well, I weighed in at lunch and my body is fighting me. So, it's time to fight back. I only lost a half pound since Wednesday. Granted, I'm a half pound lighter, but it is frustrating. :tantrum: I've decided I'm not going to let it be an excuse for not following the plan and eating whatever. It's just a test in patience.

I know it's just a scale issue at this point. The jeans I'm wearing now were a bit tight when I first started wearing them a couple of weeks ago. Now, they are getting pretty loose. I absolutely know I'm losing inches. No two ways about it. It's just a matter of the scale kicking in.

I spoke with my awesome counselors and we're going to try a few days of the yellow menu to try to kick the scales into submission.

I will win this battle!!! :drill:

So excited...just went for my post-vacation WI and I lost 2 pounds!!! I will always take my scale with me from now on, because that really helped keep me in check!

little edie --I agree with Patzi. Just jump right back OP and try to counteract it as best you can. Life happens sometimes. I went to an outdoor grill-out this weekend and did similarly to you--I was fine with my plate of food. But the longer I was there, the more picking and snacking I did. :( Lots of water, extra exercise, and extra protein can help.

Jen -- I love your determination and positive attitude! I hope the menu switch-up will get the scale moving for you.

GoneforGood -- congrats! Losing while on vacation is quite a feat! Bringing the scale with you = BRILLIANT.


Well, ladies, I got back into my regular workout routine (I had been missing a yoga class here and there the last couple weeks), increased my cardio workout by 3 mins, and made sure I ate high-protein/low-carb one day during the week, and I'm back down! I had gained about 2 lbs over the last couple weeks, but I weighed in today and lost those pounds, plus another 1/2 lb.

It's nice to realize that I can gain a few pounds sometimes and then just make little changes to get it back off right away. Much easier than waiting until I'm 75lbs overweight and have to make major changes!

Good luck this week! We're in a heat advisory here in Nebraska--and I've heard it's not much better elsewhere in the US. :( Stay cool, drink lots of water!

Thank you, everyone, for the encouragement. I feel so much better after reading your kind words. I normally weigh every morning with Tuesdays as my official WI day, but I skipped the scale today. I'll face the music tomorrow.

tkdtara84 and teacherlady--I like my routine too. When I stick with it, I'm successful.

Jen, you are always so positive. Thank you for being a ray of sunshine!

GoneforGood - taking that scale with you was a great idea. Congrats on the loss!

Little edie - I also worry about "facing the counselor" but patzi is right. It's our program and they should be there to support positive progress, not berate us for slip ups. I need to work on seeing them more as teachers than police officers!

I will weigh in tomorrow. I'm hoping I've shed those 4 pounds I gained back last week. I'm really looking forward to starting the actual program!

So many LOSERS!!!!! Yay!
 

LetHerOut - 2 1/2 weeks in and I need to adopt that mindset about counselors are there to help and not criticize.

little edie - You've had amazing success on the program thus far! This experience shows that there will be temptation and I think you handled it well and acknowledged your weakness. That has to mean something in the grand scheme of learning to live, maintain your losses and growing.

teacherlady - congrats on your 2 1/2 lb loss!

Goneforgood2008 - congrats on your 2 lb loss!

JenB72 - you're 1/2 lb lighter - great job and good luck with mixing things up a bit!

tkdtara84 - temptations are so ard to manage, as well as disruptions to our 'normal' schedules. But I also think that part of the growth process is managing these life occurances in a healthy way but not so much to the point that we're miserable following the program. Each meal is another opportunity for US to eat healthier. I am learning that I don't *have* to wait until Monday to start over and do it *right*.

coarkkayaker - congrats on your loss! As long as the scale is going down and not up, we're winning (easier to tell someone than apply to your own situation, I know...)

I weigh-in tomorrow and I look forward to getting on the scale to see if my efforts are rewarded. I *think* I've done okay this week, maybe a tad too much sodium and I'm still struggling with portion sizes, but I'm not giving up.

I tend to have the mindset that I have to be COMPLETELY on program (exercising, getting my water in, eating according to whatever diet plan I'm following at that particular time) or I'll just say bump it all. So, I'm trying to be more forgiving of myself. I haven't completely committed to an exercise routine yet and just try to count whatever I get in - walking for 15 minutes or cleaning the yard - as additional opportunities to be successful.

Hello everyone. I went to WI today and even though I did eat the blue cheese before I realized I shouldn't, and I had extra protein a couple nights because I was hungry, (probably because I didn't eat all the breakfast and/or lunch I was suppose to), I still lost 2 lbs this past week. A little less then my 3 lb average, but I'm happy. I got my 10 lb stone too! Thank you all for your posts, it is really motivating. (Especially knowing I'm not the only one who messes up)!

Down 1.7 pounds today! I'm happy.

Crossing my fingers for the rest of you weighing in today.

Goneforgood - Congratulations on the 2 pound loss! It's not very often we can say we go on vacation and lose weight. It can be done. Just because we go on vacation doesn't mean the calories do. :goodscale

Teacherlady - I'm so happy for you and your success! Look at how far you are under your goal weight. That's incredible!!!! :yay:

little edie, LetHerOut, & luvs2read79 - Good luck with your weigh ins today! :goodluck:

victorialynn2 - Congratulations on your 10 pound stone!!!! What a great reminder on how well you've done so far. Keep up the great work!!! :cheer:


ETA: In an effort to beat the scale into submission, I went for a walk at lunch with a friend. The zoo is only a few miles from here, so it's a great walk. Ended up doing 1.37 miles in about a half hour. Between that and a couple of days on the yellow menu, I hope it works. :)

WI this morning and I lost 1 pound. I was hoping for a little more but a total of 5.5 pounds, I shouldn't complain. I will move to the blue menu tomorrow. Looking forward to a little change in menu. :)

Just got back from WI and I'm down 5.5 pounds! I'll get my 10 pound stone on Friday, I'm sure of it! :D

luvs2read, I also struggle with the "all or nothing" mindset. I'm combatting it by telling myself that sticking with a program is the most important thing, not doing everything perfectly.

Congrats to everyone on their losses. Makes Tuesday a little more bearable, doesn't it? ;)

congratulations to everyone-- those losses are great. I WI today, and I was the same as before I cheated. So, it took me about 2 days to recover from 2 days of cheating (but it wasn't a free for all cheat). All in all, I'm very happy I'm not up, and I'm looking forward to next WI because I'm really determined to do very well for the next three weeks before my 5th anniversary weekend trip.

Hello again everyone! I hope everyone is having a good start to the week. Even for those of us who "messed up" over the weekend!

I only have a few more pounds to go to get to my goal weight and I have found that I am slipping up here and there now that I only have a few pounds left. But I wanted to come on here and announce that I am recommitting to the program TODAY and I will get these last few pounds off.

Wow I was not able to check in this weekend and it's going to take me awhile to catch up. . . Congrats to all the losers and to those who stayed OP. If you went off plan get back on right now, don't wait and if you already got back OP GOOD JOB! That is a key to success! If you are losing slowly hang in there and focus on being proud of your self for your new found self-control or looser clothing.

WI yesterday and was down 1.5 lbs for a total of 42 lbs. Tomorrow night I will be walking and handing out water bottles in a parade with MRC. We may be more popular than the people throwing candy since it is sposed to be very, very, very hot and humid! Next time I check the weather forcast before agreeing to any outside commitments . . . It should be fun and hopefully I will sweat way the pounds!

P.S. - on Sunday I wore a shirt that I have never been able to button - it is the smallest shirt in my closet. When I started MRC I could not get my arms into the arm holes and it would not cover my back even unbuttoned . . . I can't really "see the difference" yet, but wearing the shirt, buttoned in pubilc is definately a major accommplishment! - I also cleaned out my closet and donatd more than half my cloths because they were too big! Slow and steady might actually win this race!

Mairah

Need help - has anyone experienced mood alterations due to this diet or the supplements? Or maybe even just grapefruit? I'm certainly going through a spell...just not sure what's up.

Mariah--finding out you can wear clothes you previously were too big for is a wonderful discovery. Congratulations!

tkdtara84--Perhaps you'll have a big drop next week. I know I'm anticipating a good loss since I will stay OP.

LetHerOut--that is awesome!! You must feel as frisky as the kitten in your avatar!

Brandy-- a pound is a pound! Every little bit helps!

Junie--I'm as determined as you are to lose this last six pounds. We can do this.

coarkkayaker-I felt better after being on plan for three weeks. I wonder how much of your bipolar disorder is affected by your diet. I've seen a few books on this subject because my friend's husband was bipolar and really improved after doing Jenny Craig and my friend and I were looking at books at Amazon online about diets and psych situations.

Jen- meant to ask: what is different about the yellow menu? I've only been on the green one.

coarkkayaker-- I definitely noticed a mood alteration for about the first week and a half. However, it was PMS time, so I'm sure that contributed. I always have slight mood shifts at PMS, but this was extreme, so definitely much worse than normal. I think it was a combination of PMS, caffeine, sugar, carb withdrawal, and being hungry. I was both irritable and had moments of major sadness. I'm totally fine now, though. Once I started the HNS, I've been much better. I don't take any supplements other than vitamin and oil.

coarkkayaker ~ What suppliments are you taking and which menu are you currently on? Also, are you on meds for Bipolar?

Connie

Hang in there. i had an entire weekend when I started the Blue menu that I basically didn't get out of bed. i think it was the various withdrawals from caffeine, alcohol, carbs, etc. It got better in a few days. I had just started that time of the month and had a headache also.

Call your doctor if you are concerned. Let us know how you are doing. :0)

victorialynn2 - congrats on the 2 lb loss!

little edie - 1.7 is awesome, 6 lbs to goal, what an inspiration!

JenB72 - I'm sure your efforts will be rewarded, I can't wait to hear the results. When do you weigh-in?

brandy8188 - congrats on your 1 lb loss!

momoffour - scale victories and a NSV! That is AWESOME - I have a Rubbermaid container of clothes that I was able to fit in last summer, but there is no hope for me this summer...sigh, I can't wait to fit in some smaller clothes again.

Junie04 and tkdtara84 - sometimes we have to just re-focus. Awesome job thus far and I'm very impressed.

I went to weigh-in today and was down .5 lb. I cried as I was leaving the center, I was so upset. I think that I've put in too much work for such a small loss...while I don't really feel deprived, I could be enjoying food more...sigh. Just last night I was encouraging other people on here, but when the tables are turned, it's so hard to deal with. My mom was like, "well, at least you lost." I wanted to shove her...lol...not really, but as someone who doesn't understand my weight loss struggles, it didn't help. I'm not giving up and really hope that Friday's weigh-in is better. My "monthly visitor" is due this week, so I wonder if this has anything to do with it - as I read about the effects you all experience - I don't really know if I have had water retention issues in the past.

Thank you! I am sure your TOM has a lot to do with it. Hang in there, don't give up. I know it is easier said then done, but once you get past that, you should see a good drop. Keep going!:carrot:

luvs2read-- I think most people do hold water around TOM. I definitely understand being upset at not losing more, but sometimes that just means your next weigh in (or maybe the following one since it's TOM for you) will show a big drop. The key is to not get discouraged and go off plan when those slow losses hit.

They also say when you stall you're losing fat but holding onto water-- not sure how much I buy into that, but you never know. Regardless, the plateaus are all a part of the weight loss thing, and we just have to persevere through them and not get discouraged. Good luck for next WI!

luvs2read: Also many, many people say they loose inches when they are not seeing much improvement on the scale!

JenB: Thanks! Good luck on beating that scale!

I'm taking HR6, fish oil, b6 and the HNS drinks - that's it. And yes, I take a ton of meds for my bipolar (BP1). That's why they refused to put me on the "regular menu" plans. I had to have a plan made by a nutritionist and it doesn't change, like I read everyone changing their menu colors - mine stays the same. I've been on it 5 weeks now.

victorialynn2 - thanks for the encouragement. It got so bad today that I had to leave work. Tomorrow I will go see my shrink and take my menus and all that with me. Could be something totally unrelated, but I might as well run this diet pass him while I'm in there.

Everyone - thanks for your support. I'm glad to see I'm not alone. Maybe extreme, but not alone.

Well - it's been a few days since I posted. Last week was a slow loss - only 2.5lbs and I think I'm going to have another slow loss this week.

I'm tired of excuses - so after about an 11 week "break" from exercising.. I'm starting back. I went to PiYo at MRC Monday night and boy, was I feeling it yesterday! We used the resistant bands with some of the moves and I'm just achy all over. I knew it was going to kick my butt, so I up'd my water intake and had 5 HNS. I was kinda feeling like my WI wasn't going to go well yesterday morning just because I was so sore. Only down 1lb. Which puts me 6.5lbs away from the 70lb board. I hope to be signing that board next week!

I'm still feeling the soreness from PiYo but NO EXCUSES! I'm going to the gym today to start back my cardio routine (walking on the treadmill). And then next week, I'm going to start doing weights.

I'm off to another busy day at work! Congrats to all the "Losers"!! Keep up the great work!

brandy8188 & LetHerOut - Congrats on your losses!!!!! You're doing great!

tkdtara84 - Sometimes maintaining is a victory too! I'm sure you'll make it through the next three weeks and be a knockout!

Junie04 - I think it's awesome you recognized your slip ups so quickly. With your renewed determination, you'll smash that goal in no time.

momoffour - I am so excited for you being able to wear that shirt. I have a few shirts in my closet like that. I can't wait to wear them again.

little edie - The yellow menu is just the menu for days 1-4. Just a bit more restrictive and a change up in my foods to help jump start things.

luvs2read79 - You are going through exactly what I'm going through right now. Check out some of my recent posts. Completely on plan and the scales aren't budging. Also, my TOM just ended, as well. What did I get for it? 1/2 pound loss on Monday. Grrrrr.... Whatever you do, just don't go off plan. You will regret that more and won't get you any further in your journey. B6 helps with water retention. My counselors said up to 3 B6 pills a day is good during TOM. I'll weigh in today, so we'll see how it goes. Hang in there. :hug:

coarkkayaker - With this board, you are NEVER alone. ;)

Candi - Girl, I just noticed your ticker. You are HALFWAY to you goal!!!! :yay: Now that is a milestone!!!! BTW, I think we were doing the same thing with exercise. The last time I went for my lunch walk was on May 5 (I have an app that tracks it). I started again yesterday. Felt great! Hot as heck, but great!!!

Here's to staying OP today, Ladies!!! :hat:

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I was just thinking about it, that I've lost over 90 pounds and I am going to let this last 6 pounds get me down! Well I am over it! This morning I finally lost all the water weight I gained this weekend so I hope I will see a loss on the scale on Friday.

Little Edie, lets conquer these last 6 pounds together!!

Thanks Jen! I didn't even notice until after I posted and went to update the ticket. And I'm only 10.5lbs away from MRC's "first" goal and my end date, this time around, is mid-September so I'm HOPING I will fly by that first goal and have a heard start for my second time around.

I felt great after PiYo. But these last 2 days I've just been so achy. Definitely have to start using weights and I'm going to buy some resistance bands and do some of the things I did Monday night.. I can really feel it in my arms and like that back fat area under my arm pits. Hopefully I can burn that stuff off! :)

Oh and no matter how much I lose on Friday - I'm already excited because I get new measurements!