Hi ladies! Just a quick question....Does anyone know of an MRC member that has gone thru the entire program (including stabilization/maintenance) and has kept weight off for a lengthy period of time?? Just curious about the success rate of the program we are all on.

San Diego is still going well...headed home tomorrow. Dinners out have been pretty OFF program...but the rest of the whole day every day have been ON~

The other plus is that I have been drinking all of my HNS each day and taking all of my supplements, too. Easy to forget those sometimes!

I don't have my WI until next week...on the 14th. My goal was to stay stable while away...while maybe going down an ounce so I can sign that 30lb board!!! Then, I forsee no more travelling for a while...so will get back OP and start losing again! I will make my goal....and I WILL sign that damn board!! LOL

Tami

Tamikl-- I've wondered the same thing about the success rate. My mother lost 80 lbs, and gained it all plus more back, and the lady from whom she found out about MRC had lost over 100 lbs. and has since gained it all back. It's quite depressing. However, I would honestly think the maintenance success rate is about the same for this diet as for any other. Unfortunately, relapse is much more common than not. It's not good to dwell on the negative about maintenance, but I think a healthy fear of regain is good. I don't want to live in fear of the scale for the rest of my life, but at the same time, we need to stay very aware to keep it from creeping back on.

Also, I don't see anyone on here who was here the last time I was on, which was three years ago. Meemo had lost a ton and was on maintenance. I've often wondered what happened with her.

I think there's as much hope for keeping it off if lost in this manner as in any other. Some people say that if you lose it in a "fad" diet type way, you're less likely to keep it off, but the statistics (look in the maintainers' forum) from the nat'l registry for maintainers show that that's not true. Any way you lose it, it will be another battle to figure out how to keep it off and not slip back into old patterns.

This type of eating is not sustainable (or healthy) for the long term. Stabilization helps, of course, but no one will go through life eating strictly from even that menu. I'm expecting to have to figure out a whole new way to eat when I get to stabilization/maintenance.

In my experience-- I kept about 30 off even through pregnancy. Ideally, I would have been back where I started from a year after the baby, but I overate and changed back to my old patterns during pregnancy. I don't know what would have happened had I been able to go through stabilization, etc. I'd like to think I would have kept it off, but I'm pretty sure I would have regained at least some. This time I'm doing a better job of prepping myself mentally-- reading up on maintenance, paying more attention to the mental aspect of dieting and maintenance, etc. Last time when I started, I didn't have much faith that I'd actually make it to my goal, and I didn't think about maintenance much at all. This time I know I will because I came so close last time, so I do feel that this time around is different for me.

Hi, Tami -

My husband lost 115 pounds with MRC four years ago. He went from being almost 300 pounds to 185. He's been able to keep with majority of it off (within 15 pounds) through sensible eating and excerise. He did run quite a bit, before a back injury prevented any more running. He's very meticulous about his diet (doesn't really do sweets or anything) and also changes his eating when he notices a fluctuation or his clothes fitting different. He said that being more conscientious about his weight is a small trade-off for how great he feels now. And he's VERY supportive of where I am in my journey, which is nice.

Yes! You can get it in the spice section and it is DELICIOUS! He uses it on pork tenderloin, chicken, ribs (the no-no!), and many of the meats he grills as part of the marinade. I love it!! The brand we have is McCormick--probably other brands out there too!

Tamikl
When I hit maintenance I went to a maintenance graduation party.. I met two woman from another center that have kept the weight off.. One kept it off for 2 years, the other 1 1/2 years, but they never went back to the original eating habits they had.. If they went off Program, they would go back to one of the earlier menus till they got the weight off. I have been on maintenance since May, 2011, and I can't imagine letting myself ever have to lose the weight again.. Oh, there was a man that had lost 90 pounds and kept it off for a year. So it is successful if one does not go back to old ways.

Patzi

i'm planning on doing this for life (i hope!) i used to do WW for years and have reached Lifetime twice! over 20 some years but have gained it back & more. it takes too much time trying to figure out everything. what i like about MRC is it's one starch, one protein for b-fast, veggies, fruit and protein for lunch and one protein, starch and veggie for dinner. (Meta-slim) Easy and i'm losing approx 1-3 lbs a week. i don't feel stuffed , there is no guessing (like WW w/ points - too many choices!!)
i don't do any of the pills or vitamins they sell. i take fish oil, calcium, women's multi vit., and B-12. will prob. add B-6.
i buy my HNS's from Diet Direct (big cannister of Pink Lemonade mix- cheaper) and do buy some of their choc. shake stuff.
i would prob. lose faster if i took some ofthe pills but my doctor said once i stopped taking those extra pills they push, that i would gain back.
so i'm chosing to lose a little slower and increase activity. i walk 45 min. 5 days a week in the am. bought the cookbook so i can have some variety. to me the key is having the right salad dressing for all those salads! using spices on the chicken (Mrs. Dash spicy) and the spray butter on my cinnamon toast in the am! yum. i do have to watch that i don't overdo the protein bars - actually need to hide them!!
let me know what helps you all the most w/ this diet. i have gotten some great ideas from this forum. Thanks!!

bigdog-- are you planning to still use the HNS in maintenance? I do like the simplicity of MRC. I've done WW as well, and while I can lose on it, I too find that there are just too many choices for me and inevitably, I gravitate toward the carbs that don't keep me full, and then I end up cheating.

Unfortunately, unless this diet is modified for maintenance, it would be quite unhealthy for the long term. The extremely high protein levels would wreak havoc on your kidneys after a few years, and the lack of healthy fats, even though we supplement with pills, could also cause some long term deficiencies. Really high protein like this usually doesn't do damage for shorter periods of time, but that's why MRC asks you about your health conditions up front before you sign up.

I've been thinking about all sorts of things for maintenance. Obviously, I can't add the processed sugary carbs back in (at least not on a regular basis). I'm thinking I may try to follow the MRC program or similar at least (without hns) for breakfast and lunch and then have a more normal dinner with higher carbs. Carbs tend to trigger my cravings, so I would think those would be better in the evenings when I don't have so long before bed. Anyway, I'll see what stabilization holds, but I think it's good to consider several different options.

Hi all - I am here for a FINAL do-over!!! I am doing this on my own for financial reason, with all my prior information. My plan is to join once I am 20-30lbs from my goal to get the proper stabalization and maintenance support. Today is the start of a new me and new life. I am tired of always being tired and self conscious. Hoping to find some support on this forum, which I know I will becuase you all have been where I am and I can wait to be where you all are, once again!!

Welcome Kristih6 and good luck to you!

I noticed people talking about maintenance and I wanted to mention that there is a maintenance thread somewhere on here. I read through it a few months ago and it was interesting. Maybe you should check it out.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/meta...intainers.html

These cooler temperatures are putting me in the mood for soups. What do you all use for the stock in your soup? I like the chicken bouillon and creamy chicken but I ran out and don't plan to buy any more since I am almost to maintenance. Tell me your secrets!

Had a maintenane weigh in this morning and not a good one.. I gained 1 1/2 pounds... Why ,not sure. I was experimenting adding more beans, and some brown rice in small amounts. It may be this, not sure. Will delete these items and see how I do Tueday. Needless to say, I am shocked, as my scale did not show a problem. Showed no gain. So, I will go back to the drawing board and see everythhing I ate since Tuesday and try to figure out what happened..

I sent a message earlier stating this, but it never showed up, so if this is a duplicate, sorry.

Patzi

I had an awesome WI today-- down 2 lbs. in three days! The funny thing is, this is all since I stopped watching my sodium due to BP issues-- I've had at least twice as much or more than I used to have, but it's not affecting my weight in the least, other than to put my BP back into a more normal range. it was 100/54 today, and I can tell I"m feeling better.

I bought some chili garlic sauce in the asian section today-- just garlic, chiles, and I think some vinegar, but all OP stuff. I'm excited to try it out on stir fry.

Tomorrow we're going to my husband's company picnic. I'm thinking I just won't eat, but we'll see. I'm not sure what they have, but I shouldn't be starving when we go, and it's more of a come and go as you please kind of thing since it's a really big company, so I'm not really worried about people noticing unless we end up "eating" with any of his friends from work that we might bump into. I am kind of nervous about that-- I'm not sure exactly why, but I really don't want to tell those people I'm on a diet. I have no issues telling my friends, so who knows what's goign on in my head. I'm on a roll this week, though, and I'm sooo close to my pre-pregnancy weight that I just don't want to mess it up.

WI this afternoon and lost another 2 lbs. I didn't think I was going to lose more than one. Had a rough week after throwing out my back. 5 lbs so far this month!

Kristi - welcome! Best of luck, I know you'll do great.

Tara & Fluffy - congrats on the good WI

After all the worrying I did over my big slip over the holiday weekend, I was able to show no change on their scale (didn't eat the day before or morning of) - but my scale at home shows me up 1.5 pounds. I have a strong resolve to get it back off...I just can't stay motivated when I need to be. That's why I'm back on here. Reading how well everyone is doing is so encouraging.

Hi Ladies!!

Well, I am back from my trip...and the scale isn't looking real pretty at the moment. Seems it started out great...good choices, etc...then I started making poor choices in the end. It was almost like I was in the mind set of "my vacation is almost over, so I better live it up while I still can." Very messed up way of thinking. Now that I am home, it is like I am a new person with my mind exactly where it needs to be....I better just plan on staying home :)

That is all interesting feedback rergarding "maintenance" on the program...I am sure as with any diet, you just have to continue making good choices for the rest of your life...not just while we are losing our weight. Makes sense...just need to be mentally prepared the most!!!! That is the true challenge...at least for me it is!! Dang, I just feel like a little kid sometimes sneaking her ice cream...etc...always wanting the most what I should have the least of!

I guess the good news is that I am aware of this about myself and so can focus on getting a handle on it. Like many of you, I am not going through all of this work to lose just to gain it all back again...and then some! That truly scares me to death....

Well, until next time.....hang in there, ladies!:wave:
Tami

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May I ask who is on maintenance who is still active on this forum? I don't know what happened to the ones that had reached it.Don't seem to post anymore.. The maintenance list is from 2008 and not current. Would be nice to have someone to compare with from time to time.

Tami...
When you hit maintenance you will be fine, if you know you can't go back to your old ways.. Plus I am here to help. You will feel better about it all when you hit stabilization.

Maintenance is a way of life . Once you add your stabilizations to your diet, you will see it will go along nicely and you can add back some nice foods.
I also think, the amout of food one eats on maintenance plays a big part. I watch my portions. I do not measure anymore, but can eyeball what it should be.

The maintenance diet the Center gave me in general is for 1200 calories.It gives me an idea what 1200 calories consist of. I never look at it. My friends maintenance diet is for 1500 calories.. I now know what I can eat and gain weight and what I can't, most of the time. This week's gain was a shocker to me, and am working on it.. But it does happen, have to figure out why, and go on.

So don't fear the maintenance diet. It is no different than any other maintenance. My ony problem is I do not want and refuse to take the HNS and some of supplements I was taking, and Center is not liking that, but that is too bad,as for now, that is my decision. Also, if I did not have the center to report to,I don't know if I could make it, as I need to be accounted for, it keeps me focused knowing the scale is there. I still go 2 x a week, if I can make it, but definately one..That dependency weakness I am not happy about, but if it keeps weight off, I will do it.. I think being accountable to a consultant is that does it, as I could not make it on WW and that I weighed in once a week, where others can. It did not work for me. Hope this makes you feel lighter about maintenance. And a big plus, when you are able to wear those skinny tight fitting jeans, you will not want to put back weight,trust me, that is the truth.. Feels good having skinny clothes and not wearing tunic tops to hide the belly fat.

Patzi

Hi everyone!
My name is Nichole and my husband and I are almost 2 weeks OP. I started at 198, now at 190. He started at 240, now at 230.5. I'm starting to struggle a little with my food choices and getting depressed with thinking about chicken and broccoli for every meal! I am taking the Big 3, just to kick start things. Not sure if I'll stay on it or not. Doing my saliva test today because I kept forgetting to do it before. Also haven't gotten any fish oil yet, which they got on us about at last WI.
Anyway, just wanted to introduce us and say HI! I've been reading through everything here and just trying to absorb it all! Love that there are others who are doing this and sharing their experience. We are 45 min. from our center, so doing the classes and such aren't an option.
Have a great weekend:)
Nichole

How do you add your ticker? I got the url from the tickerfactory, but I can't attach it on here, it gives me an error???

Hi there, and welcome to our discussions! :wave:

Your "ticker" won't show up until you have had 25 posts I think...and/or have been on here for a time.

Very cool that you and your husband are doing this together!

I would suggest the cookbook...it really helps make the "boring" a little less :)

Have you done MRC before?

Tami

Thanks Tami, I see that now with the 25 posts thing. It is nice that we're doing it together! Makes it a lot easier when I want to cheat and he calls me on it! Plus we can try new things together. I do have the cookbook. Now that I'm over the first 10 days, I need to go over it again and see what looks good. It was hard at first because I was so more restricted than him. Now that we can eat about the same, it should be easier. Can you all give me your absolute favorite recipe? Trying to make food for the whole family is interesting, to say the least!!

I have not done MRC before. I've done WW for years, since having first child almost 9 years ago. But I got too tired with it, with all the changes all the time and just stuck with points. I really wanted something to kick start my loss and get me turned around. Plus we're going on a cruise in January, so that's extra motivation:D

:)Nichole

Hi there...

One of my favorite recipes is the "Stuffed Peppers." I also like MRC "Turkey Sausage."

I also have a family, and have found it difficult. They don't much like the meals my hubby and I eat now...too many "veggies"...haha, so things that go over great for everyone are chicken breasts, turkey burgers, and maybe the turkey sausage recipe....there are some meatball type recipes also.

No doubt, putting it all together to create a variety you won't get bored with is a challenge...but soon, you will identify your favorites and just make them a part of your weekly menu plans.

I do mostly salads at lunch~time...but I also love veggie omelettes. Can't have veggies at breakfast, so I save this for lunch.

French toast is my favortie for breakfast...they also have a "lemon cheesecake" recipe that is yummy for breakfast.

Have fun with it...one day at a time!!!

Tami

Hi Nichole,
My favorite in the cookbook is the "buffalo chicken" recipe. If you use spicy Melba toast in addition to the hot sauce, it has a really good kick!

Carrie

Hi all,

Finally got to weigh in after 2 weeks and lost 1.5 pounds. Not the greatest, but I totally know why. It's all about choices. This week I am going to stay OP all week. My water consumption has gone down now that I'm back to work. When I can only go to the bathroom at recess and lunch breaks it's tough. My body is still adjusting to school time. We've had 2 Fat Friday's (teachers bring treats on put on the staff room table). The first Friday, I had some chips and salsa. This last Friday I just stayed out! Here is my latest problem. I've been getting hungry lately even though I'm on the supplements. I'm doing 4 HSN's so I'm wondering if you think I could "snack" on something like vegetables? What do you all think?

I was told at my center veggies are free for snack but don't know about yours. Also, you could always drink another HNS (make pudding, "jello" or even eat the chocolate crispys)

I did not do well this weekend. We went to my husband's company picnic, and although I had planned to just not eat, I was starved by the time we were supposed to eat, so my determination just kind of crumbled.

Long story short-- I ate off the next day too when we had dinner guests. I'm back on today, and I'm working out, and that always gets me back on track, so I'm not worried about the rest of the week. My husband works next weekend, too, and that makes things easier, so I shouldn't have a weekend temptation.

I gained six pounds in two days. I realize it's not "real," but it's still quite depressing. I was on a roll, too-- losing almost a pound a day for a few days in a row.

On top of it all-- I feel totally gross when I eat off plan.

Well, count me in as having a bad weekend too. Weird thing though, I ate totally OP. Didn't cheat once. However, I didn't take any supplements, HNS, and barely any water. What the heck?! This is why I don't keep soda and iced tea in the house. That's all I sipped on because I wanted some flavor. Guess it's cause I'm PMSing.

Hi ladies~

Well, since returning home, I have been 100% OP. I sure know how it feels to mess up and see those pounds creep up because of it....not fun. I even started my period when I got home!!! So add that in the mix of poor food choices, water retention, etc... the scale was pretty out of wack. All we can do is just press on. Reality is that everyday won't be a perfect one...in any way!!

I am trying to put together a dinner menu for the week....has gotten a bit more complicated since I started MRC...the kiddos don't much like the recipes. So, that means coming up with two meal plans most nighst. It helps me though, because usually by the time it is dinner...I am hungry and need to have a plan in place. The alternative is not good :)

Well, I have my WI appt. this Wednesday...and I just keep telling myself that my only goal since the last appt. was to not gain while away. I want to sign the 30lb board, and if I can do that plus have lost a pound? AWESOME!

Tami:trampo:

Jen totally understand. If I start drinking other things I totally skip my water. I might get 32 oz. down.

Weekend was a bust for me also. We went to the mountains with friends and program was not on the menu. We ate out all meals but I tried to eat somewhat on program. Oh well today is a new day and a start of new week. Just gotta suck-it-up and face the music.

Hope everyone has a good OP Monday.

Hey everybody..

I'm so far behind on all the posts that I figured I just better start from this point and move forward.

I did read that some of you had bad off Plan weekends. Hope things are looking better for this week! And welcome to the newbies!

I went for WI Friday morning and was down another pound - which was 4.5lbs total for last week! I haven't had a loss like that since the beginning. My average is 3.5! I'm sure this week will be a stall. The only thing I did differently is work out a little more.

I have to get back to work! Hope everyone has a great week and I'll try to get caught up with the other threads, too.

Candi...
Glad to hear from you and congrats on your weight loss.. Missed your posts.

Patzi

Count me in as eating off plan this weekend too! But only for one meal, Sunday lunch after church. I wanted to come home and eat lunch, just go through drive through for kids (our treat to them on Sunday's) but Hubby (OP too) wanted mexican. So I had chips and salsa, but waaaay less than before Plan. Also did chicken salad and asked for extra lettuce, cheese on the side and FF dressing. It wasn't too bad. Then last night we went out for Hubby's Grandma's 88th birthday. Didn't drink any of the pitcher of beer the in-laws got, but had couple bites of fried fish with tartar and cheesy hashbrown casserole! Man, I miss my potatos :)

I was bummed even before going yesterday that my scale hasn't moved in 4-5 days. I don't know that it's the most reliable scale, and it doesn't match the one at my center (2 lbs. lighter than there), but it still hasn't moved! So, I went back to the Y yesterday and plan to walk or do elliptical today, tomorrow and Thurs. Then back to Y friday. Hope that kicks something into gear!!

I think what I've realized through these last couple days is that I'm not perfect and as much as I plan in my head, my days will never be exactly what I think! I have to roll with the punches, do the best I can, and let go of the rest. Like Tony Horton says, "Do your best and forget the rest!"

I hit enter before meaning to....

The other thing I wanted to mention was while sitting at the car dealership waiting on my oil to get changed yesterday, I realized a couple of things. I had my 3 yr old little girl with me and they have a popcorn machine. So she knew she would probably get that. Well, no one made it yesterday and there was no one around :(, so she was sad not to get any. Instead, she chose M&M's from the vending machine (sounds bad, I know, but a TOTAL treat for her!). I also got a diet coke, not caffeine free because there wasn't any. So, she offers me 5 M&M's, and I take them, honestly not wanting to at first but thought, "what the heck". Also took 3-4 sips of pop. LET ME TELL YOU--I had a headache within 15 minutes of eating and drinking that crap!!!!:dizzy: I couldn't believe how fast it came on and how bad my head was pounding. Of course, we had other things to do after and I had no advil or exedrin with me! So once I finally got home I took some and felt better after a while. I just never thought how much that was connected to my headaches in the past. And I forgot how bad they were, since I hadn't had one in over 2 weeks. Crazy, anyway just wanted to share and remind us all what we've given up and how bad it really is for us:)

Sorry I went so long!
Have a great day everyone and try hard to stay OP:D
Nichole

Candi, congrats on your 4.5 pounds! Watch out 90 pound board! Candi's name is going to be gracing you before you know it. :)

Nichole,from what I understand, when you reach maintenance, potatoes come back! Woohoo! Now that is something to look forward to. And like you said, none of us are perfect. The trick is, if you go off plan, to restrict it to one meal instead of several days. It's a mind game, plain and simple. BTW, in case you hit enter before you mean to (I've done that plenty of times), you'll find an edit button in the lower left side of your post. It will let you go back in and add on to your posts. Hope that helps. :)


While it's weird seeing so many of us having such a bad weekend at the same time, it's also reassuring to come here and see that I'm not alone. Before this board, I would have completely beat myself up over having a bad couple of days. Now, I know that I can come here and others understand what I'm going through because they are too. You ladies rock!!!! :D Now we just have to get a support system/plan going for next weekend. Re-commit to having a good weekend this weekend. I know I'm going to be checking in more often.

I actually had a good day yesterday. Stayed completely on plan. Didn't cheat, drank my water (even wore it at one point :o ), took all my supplements & HNS. I felt proud of myself at the end of the day and the scale validated my efforts.

Now, to do it again today!

Hi Ladies!

Well, my WI is tomorrow...sort of a big deal since it has been 2 weeks since my last one. Problem I am worried about is the time of it...5pm. I usually do it at 9am, 11am, or 2 pm. Seems as the day progresses, weight goes up. We will see.

Hope everyone has a wonderful OP day!!!

Tami:cb:

I had maintenance weigh in and I lost 1/2 pounds of the 1 1/2 I had gained last Friday.. That brings me to 4 pounds under goal. I went back to green menu of Meta Slim and will stay on it till other pound comes off.. Have some heavy challenges this weekend I am not looking forward to, but will stay OP. Sometimes, not fun..

Welcome to the newbies and congrats to all that lost weight.

Patzi

Hello All...

Not sure where to start. I've been reading y'all's postings for weeks. I've been OP since July 12...and started at 261.5 lbs. I'm down to 226.5. Last WI was flat..no loss at all.

Have a great day!

I wasn't completely OP this weekend either and not sure how my WI this week will go. I went out to eat this weekend for my anniversary and was doing so good. Had crab legs, no butter with broccoli and a nice big salad. Well then came the dessert question by the waitress. My hubby just looked at me to answer and yes was out of my mouth fast. All I can say is that is was darn good. Their version of a classic smores. Been OP ever since. Dang I felt like crap the rest of the day after but it was good :)

Did you go to Joes Crab Shack by chance??? They have a smore type dessert also...You naughty girl!!! LOL

Tami:T

Just getting started!
 

Hi Everyone,

I just joined MRC yesterday and started the plan today. Just jotted down a list to take to store and did a meal plan for the rest of the week. I am in the pre-conditioning right now. So im planning on going to the store once a week and plan my weekly dinners out. Reading on here really helped give me the extra push to join!

How do I get that cute Weight ticker???

Thanks!:^:

Tami, I hate weighing late in the day, because as you said, it's a false high reading. If you have to weigh in then, then just know you'll have a super big drop the next time you get to weigh in in the morning. Hang in there!

Patzi, the pound will be gone in no time. You are doing awesome on maintenance!!!!

RedRider, welcome to the posting world!!! Glad to have you here and hope you post often. :)

Fluffy in Florida, Happy Anniversary!!!! Sometimes exceptions have to be made. ;)

Tinafroggy,Welcome!!! So happy to have another newbie here. In order to get a ticker, you need to have 20 "legit" posts and 20 days. From what I understand, "legit" posts mean 20 different times. The mods have said if you have 3 or 4 posts back-to-back (which is discouraged anyway), then it counts as one post. The 20 days rule is down to the minute. Just the way the software works. It's definitely an incentive to be active in the forum. I found the ticker to be very motivating. I love coming here after a weigh in and moving it down a little bit more. You'll get yours before you know it.

Welcome Tinafroggy you have to post at least 20-25 times before you can get a weight tracker. I have the post but having trouble figuring out how to post it.LOL

The program works so just stay focused. You will do fine.