Hello everyone. I just wanted to stop in and give an update. I haven't even been on the boards in about 2 weeks. I have surgery about a week and a half ago. I am back at work but limited in what exercise I can do. I am able to do some walking. I have gained a few pounds since the surgery but hope I can get those off soon.

Anyway my news is that I am officially on Maintenance! Now this is scary!!

Good luck to everyone this month!

This site is FANTASTIC. There is so much love and support here...not to mention the incredible amount of information available. I don't know who the "3 fat chicks on a diet" are, but my guess is that they are no longer heavy.

Thank you all for making my first day here so enjoyable and encouraging!

Junie..
Nice to hear from you.. Jen has started a maintenance/stabilization forum.Iam on that also.

Patzi

Junie...
I forgot to mention on last message,you will love maintenance, and it will not be scarey for you.. If any questions,I would be more than glad to help you.
Patzi

I was wondering the same thing! Please tell us what you were/weren't doing. I know I have let some things slip as I've been on it longer and longer. So far, I'm still losing, but I'm sure the time will come when I have to clean up my act.

As for being private about being on a diet-- I don't care as much with friends or other family, even my other in-laws, but my FIL is a bit slimy, to be honest. He's only like that where women are concerned, but I've just always been a bit creeped out. He always comments on my appearance, etc. Luckily, I knew my husband for a long time before I met my FIL, and he was raised by other people anyhow, or I might have had some serious concerns! We don't see him often, so at least I don't have to deal with it frequently.

I would just eat slightly off plan and forget about it, but I did that last weekend, and I'm gaining ground again, and I hate to cheat and just keep treading water. I liked the sirloin suggestion. I think I'll try chicken instead, though, and it wouldn't be weird if I didn't eat the bread. I can still make hamburgers as well, and I can make a fruit salad and a regular salad, and I won't even look weird! Thanks! Sometimes you just need someone to help you talk it through. :)

October goal: 7 pounds, today down 1.5. 5.5 to go. I'm not seeing the numbers I want... Trying not to be bummed out but I am. I am also looking forward to Jen's reply about the little things. Maybe that will help me. I tend not to weigh or measure. Weighing vegetables just seems excessive... I'm getting at least 64 oz. water. What else could I do? I am taking a 12-day treatment of prednazone for a shoulder injury so maybe there isn't anything I can do but stay on program and have faith. The pred is making me feel anxious which makes me want to eat... or drink. Or drink. Sigh. White knuckle time.

Hi All,
Just wanted to jump back in a say howdy since I haven't posted since September! I'm still struggling, trying to stay OP. I do well until the afternoon, when I'm bored with staying OP and want a taste of something different. Sometimes I wish I worked out of the house, just so I wouldn't be around a kitchen all day!! Still haven't gone back to WI...it's been since Sept. 8!!! How crazy is that! On our scales, I'm down another 4-5 lbs. since then, for a total of 12-13 lbs off. I plan to WI in the beginning of the week, either Monday or Tuesday and would love to have 18 off:) That's probably not reasonable, but I'm going to aim there!

I'm reading all your posts, even though I haven't commented. Love all the different ideas and need to incorporate them into my life! I can't pay all this $$$ to sabotage myself.

Off to mow, have a great weekend all! We're in the 80's again, not normal for northern Indiana right now, but I'll take it:)

Hi all~
I recently got the packet of MRC information from Jen and there was something called a "Meal Selector" in the packet. That isn't something I've seen at my center. At what point do you use the meal selector sheet?

naschlim-- I'm in northern IN, too-- Lafayette.

you'll prob. see a weight gain w the prednazone or at least i always did when i had to take it. my doc tried to give it to me one time and i had just reached lifetime w/ WW few yrs ago). i was like, oh h*** no and he said i didn't have anything to worry about (wt. gain) and i was like, DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IVE WORKED TO GET TO THIS WEIGHT??? of course that skinny little doctor did NOT have a clue what i was talking about :-) also made me want to slap someone - i have very low tolerance to meds.... walking and riding my bike helped...i'm not a doctor but i've never found taking it or not taking it made any difference. (hope i don't offend anyone but before my mom passed away, she was taking 23 pills! and the docs that did that to her still piss me off) sorry for the vent....

Jen, that's fantastic!!!! share more please! you are motivating me to stick to the plan and have the success you are. can you share an example of what you eat daily? i get more info from you and these boards than i do the center but at least i'm still losing :-)

Bigdog, I am afraid you are right about the prednazone. And I really am feeling I want to eat everything in sight. Last night I took a bath and stayed in my bedroom just to keep as far from the kitchen and TV has possible. Long walk today. 6 more days. The Center said the gain would be water and just stay on program. At least they didn't try to sell me something.... Today I am going to be 100% on.

Jen...
You are doing fantastic and what an inspiration you are to the group of ones on the challenge to lose.. Have you made a goal for yourself for when you start stabilization?

Be proud of yourself..Remember, reward yourself from time to time, not with food of course, but something nice for yourself.
Patzi

Tara (is that right tkdtara?!)-I'm on the other side of the state, near Fort Wayne. We were thinking of heading your way today for the Brandywine festival (1st one this year, have you heard of it?) but we can't make it now.

Wow, miss a couple of days, miss a lot. Sorry I've been MIA. My munchkin developed pink eye and I had to take her to the doctor yesterday and then tend to the princess. She's totally worth it. :D

I wish I could say I'm doing something earth-shattering to have such a great weight loss this week, but really, I'm not. I'm following the green menu exactly as written with no deviations. Here's an example:

Breakfast
4 oz. Turkey Sausage
1 slice lo cal toasted bread
Orange HNS w/Orange Diet Rite

Lunch
3.5 oz. Ground Turkey w/Taco Seasoning & 0.5 oz. Cheddar Cheese
4 oz. Broccoli or 8 oz. Lettuce
Apple
Wildberry HNS w/Red Raspberry Diet Rite

Dinner
4 oz. Grilled Chicken
4 oz. Green Beans
1 slice lo cal toasted bread

All that plus 2 more HNS drinks (with Diet Rite mixed in) and 90-100 oz. of water a day.

I do other things with my menus, but that's pretty much it. Green menu. As written.


Some of my deviations:
Turkey Tacos - I was having turkey tacos for dinner. The problem with that was, I would eat the whole tortilla instead of just the 1/2 as instructed. My rational, what was the big deal? It was fat free and only 79 (yeah, 79) calories. On top of that I would add some shredded cheese (not measured) in addition to the 4 oz. of turkey. My counselor said cheese was breakfast or lunch ONLY. So, to get back on track with the turkey taco meat I love, I only use 3.5 oz. of turkey and 0.5 oz. for lunch (never dinner). Then, instead of using a tortilla shell, I just put it in a regular bowl and think of it as a taco salad.

Diet Pepsi - This is one of my guilty pleasures. Love it! So, I'm mixing Diet Rite in my HNS and it is helping to satisfy my soda cravings.

Bread - Bread is one of my biggest challenges. At night, whether from boredom or hunger, I would have an extra slice or two. Again, I would think it was an OP food anyway, what was the big deal if I had one or two more slices? Uh, big deal. I may as well have been shoving chocolate in my mouth the way my body reacts to it.

Honey Mustard - I would regularly use this on my salads, in moderation. While I still lost consistently while eating it, and I would use my F&C Blockers, I'm not using it at the moment.

Restaurants - I usually eat out a couple of times a week. Sometimes I would forget my F&C Blockers. Now, I'm sure that there is a bottle in my purse before going out.

Exercise - I wasn't getting any. Now, I'm walking about 1 - 1.5 miles every other day.

Sleep - I was only getting about 6 hours sleep a night. I had a lot to do after the munchkin goes to bed. I try to plan better now and am getting about 7-8 hours a night. Plus now, if I'm getting the urge to eat at night, I go to bed. Works every time.


I hope this helps some of you. :)