August Thread
 

Happy August, Everyone!!!! Hope you all have a great month!

I've decided to challenge myself. I want to see if setting a monthly goal helps motivate me through the month. I have "goals", but no timetables set for them. I'm going to try to hit a mini-goal of being 155 or lower by the end of the month.

Anyone else wanna try it with me? :cheer:

JenB72 - I'll join you in a mini goal. I would like to be 248 by the end of the month. That's exactly 3lbs per week. It would also put me under my high school graduation weight which was in 1992!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.

I went to an "All Class Reunion" - which was High School grad years from 1988-1992. There were only 7 of us from 1992. But we had a blast catching up. And I received SO many compliments. I posted my story on facebook, when I started, and everyone knows what I'm doing. I just kept telling them - you wait until next year at our 20yr reunion!

I also cleaned more clothes out of my closet but didn't get rid of them yet. I think I'm going to have a garage sale in September and try to make some money from all these clothes! I showed my mom the, almost 4ft stack, of clothes in my closet and she asked, "are you sure you don't want to keep any of these... just in case?". I told her I never wanted to be that size again and if I keep all those clothes then it might make it easier for me to gain rather than maintain. I'm getting rid of the "old" me and making room for the new me! I have pictures to remind me of how big I used to be.. I don't need the clothes.

Anyway - going for WI tomorrow and hoping to sign the 70lb board. Have a good Monday (if those exist) :D

I will join in. My mini goal for August is to be 159 by August 31. That is only 8 pounds, 2 pounds a week.

This is definitely going to be a struggle, because I am going to Las Vegas 15-19 August for a convention, and, as always, I will just plan to do my best. :devil:

Great idea! I'm in for the mini goal. My goal will be 8 lbs this month. I also have a week long vacation, but I'm planning on being outside a lot and staying as close to program as possible. This being August, is also when I go back to work. Going out to lunch is a big deal when you are a teacher since we don't have time when we're in school. In-service days could really throw me off, but I'll be prepared for it. Maybe I'll be able to encourage others to eat better with me!

Loving this site. Thanks for all the support. I'm planning on signing the 10lb. board this week.

WI at lunch and plateau is offically busted. On their scales I'm down a pound to 163. So happy!

I must confess. I had a calculated cheat last night, but, I did take my Fat & Carb blockers. My cousin just opened an ice cream shop and this weekend was the Grand Opening. So good, but thankfully, 20 miles away, so not as much of a temptation as you might think. It did bump me up from my 162 range, but I'm ok with that. I know I'll be right back down in there since I'm doing Meta-Quick this week.

My August goal would be to be in the 160s by September 1st (and 169.5 counts!) That's just over 11 lbs. to lose this month. It should work, but this plateau I've been on has me second-guessing myself these days.

So glad your plateau is busted, Jen. I'm so frustrated with my week-long plateau, so I can't imagine how you felt being slo close to goal, etc. I just keep telling myself that it has to end soon. I've stayed OP, so that in itself is an accomplishment. Normally plateaus lead to a cheat for me.

Candi - Congrats on the clothes! That's a great problem to have!

tkdtara 84 - It will end soon. Just stick with it and look at the labels on the foods you're eating and the salt you add to your cooking. I've been paying extra attention to this and I think that's what helped.

Evinsmom & Brandy - Good luck this month. I'm going out of town too, but we can handle this. :)

I decided to go ahead and do a few days on Meta-Quick and got some great tips from my counselors.

1. If you can, it's far better doing 2 shakes a day rather than a shake and a bar. Apparently, the bars only have 15 g of protein on average, where the shake has 35 g. Also, I read last week that some ladies have been having trouble with plateaus and constipation with the bars. I wonder if that's what happened to me and why I didn't lose any weight on Meta-Quick last time.

2. To increase the effectiveness, stay away from the "creamies" while on Meta-Quick. You can technically have them, but it works better if you don't.

3. Finally, as much as I don't like it, they suggested a scoop of the Super Veggi or Super Fruit & Veggie. It helps keep you regular. ;)

Thanks for the MQ tips. Two shakes on metaquick help keep you full, too. Last time I did it, they didn't allow that, and shortly after the bar at lunch, I was ravenous.

I'm going on a weekend trip in a few days where I will go off some, so I think I'll just re-evaluate when I get back and possibly do metaquick after that. Even if the cheat this weekend makes me gain, hopefully it will shake my body up a bit so I can start losing again once I'm back OP.

Aloha ladies! I started pre-conditioning today and am feeling very hopeful. I spent a week looking through all of the posts and doing research so I feel well educated. :) I'm game for setting a mini goal for August. Since I'm just starting (for the 2nd time) and not sure how my body will respond this go around, I'll set a 2lb a week goal and go for 8 lbs - 178lb by end of month.

Candi, congrats on your journey thus far! And I hope you get some big bucks for your "big" clothes. :)

Good luck ladies!

Thanks for the suggestions on how to prepare the turkey breast to retain moisture and have some level of savory taste. I'm going to look for the seasonings and the lower sodium chicken broth before I purchase one.

patzi - I like the Walden Farm's caramel dip and the chocolate dip. I'm not wild about the grape jelly at all and the barbecue sauce and salad dressings take some getting used to. You really take things in perspective in regards to your weigh-ins, I hope I have the same attitude one day.

Candi - I've had a "rizen" before and they are PAINFUL...can't imagine the pain you were going through (especially because of the sensitive area), but happy to hear that it was taken care of. Congrats on your weight loss in spite of and on moving down in clothes sizes - which I know is so exciting!

Junie04 - good luck with switching things up and going back to the other menus to help you get those last stubborn pounds off.

tkdtara84 - thanks for the suggestions on the replacement bars. I have to find out for which meals I can have them, but will definitely try the caramel peanut as I miss my desserts, but not as much as I thought I would. Congrats on your loss!

brandy8188 - congrats on your loss!

haggis - welcome! This board has been one of my lifesavers while following the MRC plan. Lots of advice and plenty of support.

RaRaF - Congrats on signing the -30 lbs board and on your daughter being chosen for the team. Stay strong in face of the fair temptations!

victorialynn2 - happy to hear that the water weight is gone.

JenB72 - whoo hoo!!!! So happy that you stuck with it and broke through - your scale is once again moving in the right direction. That's perseverance. I don't know if I would have had the peace of mind to stick with it like that. I'm working on changing my attitude and perspectives so that when I do hit a stall, I don't become frustrated and give up like in the past.

ConnieInColorado - congrats on your AWESOME loss! Slipping into your size 10 - I'm envious! :)

momoffour - you will prove your doctor wrong, I'm sure of it! I don't live alone and certainly wish we didn't have temptation foods in the house.


I haven't been able to respond or post in a couple of days - had a busy weekend. Friday I went to weigh-in and managed to get rid of that 3.5 lbs from last Tuesday and an extra lb - so technically I lost 1 lb last week, but I'm okay with that - especially after facing that fictitious gain. Saturday and Sunday were hectic - I had a family gathering on Saturday and a ball game, so my eating times and choices were off. I honestly did the best I could and much better than I would have in the past. My mom made homemade banana pudding - which is one of my all-time favorites - and I didn't have a bite, lick, or taste. Sunday my family went to a water park about 2 hours away from home and my daughter enjoyed the kiddie section so much! The heat I endured was well worth it! I ate on program food that I'd packed in the cooler, just not at the "right" time and in the "right" combination. Today is a new day and I'm back on track. I just haven't had a chance to walk since Friday. So, I still have time to get my walk in this evening...I just hope it has finally cooled down outside!

I head back to work tomorrow (WAH!!!! LOL) and like brandy8188 said, the in-service days will present a challenge. I know my co-workers/friends will want to go out for lunch, so I'm going to make the best choices possible - mostly everywhere has a chicken salad of some sort. I'll take fruit and my snacks to help me get through the day. I weigh-in tomorrow after work and will be forgiving of myself considering the food I've this weekend.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

I think a mini goal is a great idea. I'm going to try and get under 170 by month end. I'm at 182, so that is 12 lbs. Great idea JenB!

Loves2Read, while heading back to work is a bummer on the one side, at least you will be back to your routine, and for me, weekends are much harder then work days. Hopefully it will help your diet. :)

I hope everyone has a great month!

Gettin' Jiggy with it!
 

Just signed the 70lb board!!! :hyper:
:woohoo:

Here I come 80lbs! I'm so on :cloud9: right now! I was a little nervous - hoping for that 2lbs and I hit it right on the nose! The consultant asked how long it had been since I had been at this weight. I told her I weighed around 250 when I graduated high school in 1992.

I'm so excited I've ran out of things to say.. and that's rare! :D

I'm off to change my tickers! Oh - and change my avatar.

I am soooo excited for you! You look amazing!!!! I would love to see a collage of all your board signings. Super awesome!!!! :woohoo:

Jenb
Great Idea on the Mini Monthly Goal!!
I like it!!

Something I forgot to add about the Meta-Quick plan is that they have revised what you can eat at dinner.

Protein
You can now eat Buffalo/Bison, any white flakey fish, in addition to Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, and White Albacore Tuna. You can sub up to twice a week Sirloin or Pork Tenderloin.

Vegetable
All the same

Starch
You can now only eat 1 slice 40 cal bread or 1 serving of 40 cal Melba Toast.

Items removed are: 1/4 cup cooked legumes (black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto, kidney beans, navy beans, green peas, black eyed peas), 1/2 corn tortilla, 1/2 flour tortilla.

JenB - I was actually working on a collage to send to my grandparents and I also write "notes" on my facebook.

So here it is.. I didn't start taking the board pics until I hit 30. Not sure why. I had those "other" kind of pics that aren't suitable for any type of posting :o but didn't think about pics of me signing the boards until it was too late.

Oh - and the center has decided to keep me as their feature client this month because people keep asking about me. So they are updating all my info and keeping me on the wall! I also made the framed pictures section down both hallways! Didn't even know that until I was sitting in the room today and looked out at the wall and saw myself. That made me feel really good. :D

And this is the longest I've gone without signing a board. You can see that by the dates on my pics. I was signing boards every 2-3 weeks but this time around it took me 4 weeks to get to that 70lbs. Hope I can speed things back up again!

Rzrbackcandi that is an amazing journey you've been on. You look awesome. Keep up the great work. I will definitely get inspiration from you.
:bravo:

Wow! You look fantastic! I noticed the first picture was Nov 2010--imagine how your pic will look for Nov 2011!
Congratulations, and thank you for all of your suggestions and encouragement on this board!

I weighed in for maintenance today and gained one pound.. Like a see saw, right? What I added this week was a glass of wine, a bit more avocado, and a bit more beans..Mind you , I still have not hit the allowed amts. on beans or fats, but that is ok.. Back to drawing board, and see if I can do better Friday. I am now 4 pounds under goal vs. 5.

Rzrbackcandi..
You are amazing.. Congrats on the signingof the 70 pound board. What an imspiration you are to everyone.. I am so very happy for you.

Jen..
Thanks for changes on the Meta Quick Plan.. I copied and put into the MRC files. They omitted quite a few items.

Patzi

Well, I lost another lb. today at WI. For the last three WIs, it's been 1 lb. I suppose that's better than nothing, but I really hope it picks back up soon.

Congrats to everyone else, and Candi-- I see why they have your pictures all over the place at your center- WOW!

I weighed in today and lost 1.5 pounds! I hit the 10 pound board. I got to sign and I got my stone. I was so excited.

All of you ladies are an inspiration.

Candi: Congratulations on the 70 lb board! You've worked so hard and are really on a roll now! I enjoyed reading about your big clothes as I just took 3 huge garbage bags and donated them yesterday! In the past, I always kept them "just in case." Hopefully, without anything to wear, I'll be more motivated to keep the weight off!

Mini-goal for August: 6.5 lbs because that will get me to my goal!! I'd like to lose a few more after that, so I can have that "cushion" of about 5 lbs, but for now, I'd like to just get to goal! I gained 0.5 and then lost 0.5 last week, so the scale is definitely slowing down, the closer I get to goal-but I expected that so we'll see what this week brings. I'm thinking about trying MQ if this week doesn't go well.

I know we aren't supposed to eat corn... but it's August and the farmers just down from my house always have the best sweet corn and I don't want to miss out on it! Would it be OK to substitute my veggie AND my starch for one small ear of corn (without butter of course)?

I'm so far behind that I'm not going to try to catch up. I've read the August thread but can't even remember where I left off in July!

Candi, you are amazing! I bet you'll get a featured success story on their website! Congrats on the 70 lb board! Woo!

My grandpa passed away and we flew to Colorado for the week. I didn't want to bother with trying to take HNSes on the plane and just went totally off plan. However, I managed to only gain .5 a pound and I'm sure that was water weight. I'm back on track! The counselor I met with on Monday said that learning to get back on plan after going off is a really good skill to develop early on in the program. I hadn't thought of it that way, but I really liked her perspective!

My opinion....technically it's still cheating, so I wouldn't do it often, but it's a calculated cheat and probably won't hurt you that badly if you only do it once or twice. I understand the corn thing...I'm in IN. I think the way you suggested is a good way to do it, but I'd try it once and see how it affects you. Even if it doesn't seem to adversely affect you, I wouldn't do it more than once a week.

Again, though-- I'm in the camp that thinks you have to make MRC work for you so you don't go crazy and then binge cheat. It's natural to want things off menu, especially after eating this way for a while-- it's a bit boring. You just have to make sure that your "modifications" don't happen often because sometimes they'll set you back a few days. A few days' setback once a month isn't that big of a deal, but a few days' setback once a week really is. You just have to decide if it's worth it to you. I think it would be to me-- just make sure it doesn't turn into two or three-- that's what I'd have to watch out for.

Rzrbackcandi Who Hoo! Love your new pic!

JenB do you know why the change? I haven't gotten the memo yet, and not happy about loosing the beans. :( I wonder why the change when it seems like so many do so well as is?

HappyHallie if you have any carb blockers, you might try taking that before the cheat. It's suppose to help. Does anyone have any feedback on their effectiveness?

Hi,

Candi - Congrats on the 70 lb board, you look amazing.

LetHerOut - Sorry to hear about your grandpa. It sounds like your counselor is very supportive.

HappyHallie - It would definately be off plan to eat corn in any way shape or form - sorry - I'm an Iowa girl myself and am surrounded by sweet corn. . . That said the choice is really yours to make - but going off plan is a very dangerous and slippery slope so be careful. It may or may not cause a problem on the scale but going off plan definately messes with your head and your willpower. You could always get the fresh corn and freeze it so you will have it for when you get to maintenence. . and there will always be next year.

Patzi - your dedication to figuring out how different foods affect your body is inspiring.

JenB - Thanks for the info on the new Metaquick recommendations.

Congrats to all the losers!!

I love the idea of a mini goal, so for August my goal is to be 216 or less by September 1st. (3 lbs per week) My body appears to be responding to the change in my thyroid medication - since Saturday my home scale says I have lost 5 of the 8 lbs that I gained last week (water weight I'm sure) and I'm hoping by the time I weigh in on Thursday I will have lost all 8 of those pounds (and I wouldn't complain if I lost more than that - hehe).

I've gone back to work full time and having such a hard time adjusting to the schedule. *yawn* So sleepy!!

My mini goal is to lose 10 pounds in August, bringing me down to 165.5.

Candi - Great pics. You can really see the difference. Keep it up!

Patzi - You'll lose that pound in no time. You are doing such an amazing job on maintenance. It gives me hope. :)

Tara & Brandy - Congrats on your losses!!!!!

Goneforgood1128 - Congrats on ditching the clothes. What a great excuse to buy new ones. ;)

Hallie - It's your call, but I personally wouldn't. MRC is a low carb plan with specific ratios of protein/fat/carbs. If you were to "cheat" and eat the corn (which has anywhere from 15 - 20 g of carbs), it would throw that balance off. Many of us have been told by our counselors and experienced the fact that it takes 3 days of being on plan to make up for cheating (which costs $$$). It's totally up to you, but I like momoffour (aka Mariah)'s idea of freezing the corn for when you hit maintenance. Good luck with your decision!

Letherout - I'm so sorry about your grandpa. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Victorialynn - I was told it was updated (Rev date June 2011) to make it more effective.

Mariah - I'm glad the medicine is working for you. Hopefully your body will get back into a weight loss grove and not fight you anymore.

Ginpea - Good night! ;)

This is an observation I had tonight, and I wonder if anyone else noticed something similar. I've been on plan for 5 weeks (not counting preconditioning), and I notice my finger nails are super strong now. They were always strong, but now they don't break at all and I could not bite them even if I wanted to. I guess it's the protein and EFO's?

Victoria--YES! I've noticed the same thing! Even had some ask me whether I'd gotten my nails done! Nope, I just painted mine! I didn't think about it being the protein, but could be. I also take MSM, so thought maybe that was it-who knows, but I like it!

I've noticed the same thing. Also, my hair grows like crazy.

Heading to Orlando...
 

Well, it's official.. I'm taking a "vacation" and going to Orlando to visit my best friend, his wife and their new baby boy. Not really counting it as a real vacation because I will have to work for a few hours each day.. the downfall of being the only one that does what I do and people can't live without me or at least live without my reports I do each day.

So I'm starting my game plan now to stay OP while I'm there. Luckily, I have a direct flight from Northwest AR to Orlando but on the way back I fly from Orlando to Charlotte. If that plane lands in time, I have 35 min to make it from US Air to a Delta flight that takes me to Atlanta. Then Atlanta to Northwest AR. I've never had to switch airlines before - so hoping my bags get from US Air to Delta without me having to get them and recheck them in because doing all that in 35 minutes probably won't work :?:

Anyway - I'm staying with my friend, so I will be able to cook and I'm going to take bars & shakes just in case. I'll be gone from 8/12-8/18.

I just keep thinking.. If I can go to a Snack & Candy show and still lose weight, then I can go to Orlando and lose weight! :D

Can't wait to see all my friends and play around in my old stomping grounds. Oh, and I'm not going to Disney or anything like that.. I lived there for 12 years and hardly went and really have no desire. It's all about visiting and seeing the new baby.

Congrats to all the losers this week!

Hoping everyone stays cool. Today we are supposed to get up to 108*. Yesterday my car temp showed 112*. UGH!

As for the corn... that's all I grew up with. I ate corn and my brother ate green beans. Now I'm eating green beans! I do miss my corn & carrots but if I was going to plan a cheat it wouldn't be with one of those two things. It would be a slice of pizza or chocolate cake or ice cream :o Oh the sacrifices to a healthier person.. but I would much rather continue losing weight and getting more healthy then to go off program and probably feel guilty if I did cheat.... just my 2cents.

I have much catching up to read - and apologize to everyone for falling so far behind. I've really been discouraged. I've been at the same weight for two weeks now (& that's a pound up). While I sit and limit my eating I watch my husband cut back, but not nearly as much and it seems every morning, he's like "another pound down". I'm glad because I want him to be healthy, but for crying out loud...it's like he's putting in very little effort and getting huge results. I'm doing tons of work and getting no or little results. Extremely hard to motivate myself while this is going on. Sorry for the rant and congrats to all who are staying OP and losing!

Victorialynn - Yes! My nails are super strong right now. Love it!

Candi - Doesn't matter if you're home or on vacation, I know you'll rock it! Heck, even if you were going to Disney, you can still stay on plan there. That was a big thing for me to learn. I cheated at Disney because I wanted to, not because there weren’t options there.

coarkkayaker - First, have you discussed this with your counselors? If you have good ones like mine, they can help give you suggestions based on your food sheets and ways to bust out of the plateau. With regards to the foods you are eating, check the sodium content. This is something I just dealt with. While I thought my turkey was good for me, 4 oz. contained 1100 mg of sodium! No wonder why I wasn't losing any weight. The fresher the food is, the better. You can also modify what you eat on plan to help push you out of the stall. My center's “plateau buster” consists of sticking with chicken, turkey, & tuna/white fish. Veggies should be green beans, squash, or zucchini. Starch as normal. Keep fruit to berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) No cheese or protein bars. Doing this for a few days helped get my weight loss moving again. What else? Make sure you're drinking enough water. Meta-Quick is also great for moving your weight loss again. Don't give up hope!!! Just stick with this and it will start moving again.

*****

WI at lunch and down another pound! Actually, my scales this morning read 161.8, but the center's only measures in half pound increments. Bummer! LOL That just means I have a "bank" of 0.2 pounds when I go back next week. ;)

Dieting with husbands is never good for motivation. In general, they lose so much faster than we do, and if you compare yourself, you'll go crazy. Maybe you should tell him that while you're very happy for him, it makes it all the more frustrating for you when you're stuck like this. He could probably tone down the celebrating if you ask him to.

As far as the plateau, they stink. I've just gotten off one, and the scale is finally moving again, but I was stuck for a week and a half, and it's definitely not fun. It WILL move again, though, if you stay OP. You just have to figure out a way to keep it from messing with your head in the meantime. And JenB has great suggestions as well for getting past it.

When my husband did WW (or a modified version of it) with me, we ended up just talking about the diet in general and not how much we'd lost that week. It was easier for me if I didn't hear his number, but we were still able to be supportive about eating OP, etc. He didn't last long, lol, but at least it gave him some perspective on the difficulties of dieting. Now when I diet, he's really sympathetic. He's always able to just lose a few lbs. if he wants by not eating out, or cutting a little junk-- it's definitely frustrating to see how easy it is for him, but that's the way it is.

Candi – congrats!!! I’m so happy for you, you are rockin’ this program! What a difference in your physique – pictures always tell the story.

Tkdtara84 – congrats on your one lb loss. Some days, I get on the scale praying for any kind of loss. At least it is moving in the right direction. Hopefully the loss will speed up and you’ll see the kind of drops you want to see.

Brandy8188 – congrats on your 10 lb total loss!!! Can you notice a difference in the fit of your clothes?

Goneforgood1128 – good luck on making it to your goal. You have the tools and knowledge to do it.

HappyHallie – I’d do the substitute and eat the corn (a FRESH seasonal item), but only if it is going to be a one-time thing. However, with that, you have to be able to not beat yourself up if the scale doesn’t like it and you have to re-focus and not make it a habit. That’s just my opinion.

LetHerOut – I’m so sorry to hear about your grandfather. The loss of a loved one is difficult to deal with and I’m a stress eater, so I tip my hat to your only gaining .5 lbs. That testifies to the fact that you’re taking in all of the information and making lifestyle changes – you were probably still mindful of what you were eating and practiced portion control. Things I’m still struggling with.

Momoffour – happy to hear that your body is responding to the meds. It is SOOOOO hard to gain weight when you haven’t done anything ‘wrong.’

Ginpea – I’m right there with you! I was exhausted yesterday!

Coarkkayaker – so sorry that you’re putting forth effort and the scales aren’t cooperating. It is not fair that men lose weight so easily! But it’s a fact of life. Jen had some great ideas, so I wish you luck.

JenB72 – congrats on your loss!


I went to weigh-in yesterday and I was up .5. But I'm okay with that given my weekend. Also back at work and I'm so tired...this will take some getting used to. But at least I have a few days before the kids come back. I was SUPER SNACKY yesterday and today I am retaining water...ugh! But I guess this has sparked a fire in my head of what happens when I am not diligent and on program. So, today, I'm much better, making better choices and such.

I'm almost out of the cortitrim and phentatrim and planning on giving it a go without them considering their cost. So, cross your fingers that things still go okay.

Jen - great ideas for breaking through. Thank you.

tkdtara - thanks for sharing your experiance with your diet partener lol. We'll have a good talk about it tonight.

luvs2read - thanks for the support.

thanks everyone for your support - I'll stop being a baby and get back to work! I'm going on vacation next week - and it'll be a challenge for me to come back and tell you all that I lost while on vacation...keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for all the support, everyone.

Candi, the airline will check your bags all the way through to your final destination. No need to retreive and re-check them! I always fly with at least 1 layover. :) Enjoy your trip. I look forward to hearing your strategies for staying on plan while traveling. You'll do awesome!

Coarkkayaker, Jen had lots of great ideas for getting past your plateau. Plateaus are a normal part of the weight loss process and it means you're doing everything right! Stay OP and you'll see progress. As others have mentioned in the past, while you aren't seeing scale changes, you could be losing inches.

I WI tomorrow. Looking forward to it. I did mess up my lunch yesterday and included a starch when I wasn't supposed to. Don't know what I was thinking!