Originally Posted by nwcgina:
Made it through this long day without going OP. My friend is (miraculously) still alive and they will begin taking her off the respirator soon. Besides her getting better, it was awesome to know I could stick with this even when life got crazy and plans for the day were thrown out the window. WI is tomorrow...since I am doing the at-home program I have the advantage of always being able to weigh at the same time (right after getting up).

Excited to try some new recipes like the meatloafs this weekend.

Prayers for your friend and a speedy recovery... good luck on your weigh in!

Tami-that is awesome that you have lost 42 lbs! You sound like you are at a healthy place mentally...pushing through a bit more then taking time to embrace the person you have become! You will know when you are ready to take on the rest:)

I spent a lot of time yesterday with friends I hadn't seen in a month or longer...and obviously it wasn't a "social" gathering, but a few did comment that I was looking really good (I was just in an long sleeve t and jeans that have become too big).

nwcgina - I'm sorry to hear about your friend. My prayers are with her and her family. Hang in there. :hug:

Tami - Congrats on going through the stabilization class! I know it must be such a relief for you. Just take things one day at a time and you will do great!

Bigdog -Actually, I didn't get those tips from MRC. It was from a website that birdfeet suggested. You are right, though. They are great tips. Hopefully MRC will publish something similar.

Have a great day everyone! :thanks2:

Hi....
I weighed in today and lost 1/2 pound, putting me 5 1/2 pounds under goal.
I tried the following this week.

Applesauce Nut bread. This is not an OP item for those who are losing. I had a slice each day with an HNS. Remember, when eating carbs, have a protein with it..

I was asked to speak at a maintenance meeting they are going to have. I declined speaking, but said I would answer any questions.. No one should have a problem with maintenance if they have been OP on losing weight, and not cheated thru it. There is nothing you cannot eat on maintenace, but if you do, have a slice, not the whole thing, one candy, not the whole box, etc.. That is the key.. Everything in moderation.

I did take the Cortitrim and MRC 6 or whatever it is called while losing weight, and the Cortitrum does help with making belly smaller for sure. I see that was brought up. I take none of that since hitting Maintenance.

Wishing y'all a great weigh in and remember staying OP is the trick.

Patzi

Tami - Way to go on the stabilization party. That is wonderful. I love the idea of the balloons. Those pounds aren't coming back. :D

I have WI today and am hoping the my skinny feeling from yesterday translates into a loss on the scales. I'm 1.5 away from signing the 30 pound board. Hopefully today will be the day.

Patzi - Great job! You are absolutely right about the cheating. I still struggle with that from time to time, but like to think I'm getting better. :)


I just got an MRC e-mail with these tips. I hope they help everyone. :)

Those who are not monitoring their weight gain 6-16 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year's. Below are some great tips for getting through the holidays:

Plan ahead. Preparation is the key to success. Think ahead, prepare meals in advance and write out shopping lists. If you have the things you need to be successful, the program will feel much easier, and you will not find yourself “stuck” without choices.

Drink water. Water helps you stay well hydrated, satisfied and in balance, and keeps your hands busy. Much of the time we think we are hungry; we are truly thirsty — so try quenching your thirst first.

Use your HNS. High Nutrient Supplements (protein drinks) will be your best friend this holiday season. They satisfy your appetite, taste great and help you overcome cravings. Mix your HNS with a fizzy soda like Diet Sprite and presto — you have mock cocktail!

Keep a food sheet. Now more than ever your food sheet will help keep you on track. The food sheet holds you accountable, and can often be your “silent helper.” After all, if you don’t want to write it down, you probably won’t eat it.

Visualize. Begin thinking about what it looks like to be in control this year. What choices will you make at the holiday party or family dinner? Be as descriptive as possible — what are you wearing, how do you feel, how do you handle feeders with confidence.

Journal. If you face the upcoming season with some dread or tension, journaling is a great way to help you process your feelings and manage your emotions.

Get support. Support can come in many forms — friends, family, co-workers and the MRC team. Be sure to weigh-in at least twice per week — you need plenty of support during the holidays. Tell your support team that you plan to stay on track and lose weight this month, and ask them to help you. Also, make a MRC wish list, detailing the HNS flavors, herbs and
vitamins that your family and friends can give as gifts.

Say "no." Graciously decline foods offered that are not on your program. Simply say, “No, thank you” or “Thank you, maybe later.” This is usually enough to get feeders off your back.

Cook. When you are invited to a holiday party, offer to bring something that is on your program. Everyone will love the Spinach Artichoke Casserole (on page 116 of the MRC Cookbook), and you will know you have what you need to stay on program.

Exercise. Don't stay in all day sitting or lying down. Exercise also helps to relieve stress, gives us a moment to think and gain perspective, and keeps us in touch with our body. Clients say when they start their day with exercise, it becomes much harder to deviate, because they don’t want to undo their hard work.

Set Goals. How many pounds do you want to lose this month? What size do you want to be in on New Year’s Eve? Keep your eye on the prize — you can do it!

TGIF everyone! I hope you're all doing well today. I went away on Tuesday/Wednesday and cheated (not the whole time, but bad at a couple of meals). I'm still paying for it. So, for everyone thinking that ice cream or lasagna looks good..Remember, it will take several days to get the weight back off! UGH! I was down to 154.1 before we left and am still only back to 154.3 today. Trying to figure out what to have for lunch b/c I'm bored with the food and I'm really not even hungry to be honest.. I really wish I was so wishy washy!

Has anyone had veggie burgers (Boca or Morning Star) while on this diet? If so, how do you count them? Would you add a little more protein and skip the veggie, or do half the veggie?

NWCGINA..I'm glad to hear that your friend is doing better. How very scary for her and her family.

Patzi..as always, you have such great motivational posts :)

Sorry I don't have responses to all, but I have to get back to work. Have a great weekend everyone! Stay focused and on plan. Next week will probably be tough for many of us.

Tami...
Congratulations are sure in order... I am so happy for you. If you need any help please feel free to ask.. Be proud of yourself, you deserve the praise.

Rocki..
I have had the veggie burgers many times, but have eaten them on an all veggie day.
My consultant told me to eat them on a day when I followed the vegetarian diet for all meals.. Center does have a vegetarian diet. I did that on occasion, as I just became tired of all the protein. I make my hubby stuffed peppers with the boca crumbles and he loves them. He likes a veggie day here and there. He is not on MRC

Patzi

So Patzi,
What else would you eat on a veggie day? What would a sample menu be for all 3 meals? I ended up having a chicken MorningStar veggie burger along with a cottage cheese/HNS creamy/blackberry smoothy. I didn't have any more veggies, but I added the cottage cheese to get around 23 grams of protein for the meal (chicken breast 4oz is 30 grams from what I've read).

Originally Posted by patzi:
Tami...
Congratulations are sure in order... I am so happy for you. If you need any help please feel free to ask.. Be proud of yourself, you deserve the praise.

Rocki..
I have had the veggie burgers many times, but have eaten them on an all veggie day.
My consultant told me to eat them on a day when I followed the vegetarian diet for all meals.. Center does have a vegetarian diet. I did that on occasion, as I just became tired of all the protein. I make my hubby stuffed peppers with the boca crumbles and he loves them. He likes a veggie day here and there. He is not on MRC

Patzi

WI today...down to 174.6! (Started @ 183 on 10/31...so 8.4 lbs in 18 days...I'm stoked). I honestly can't believe each time I step on the scale that I continue to lose! I have NEVER been able to do that. I've been sticking OP even with the stress...and it has paid off. I keep the creamies for days when I really "need" a chocolate fix since I didn't order many to begin with since I didn't know I could have them so soon. Hoping I can stretch the 6 I have until the end of the month.

Awesome job!! Is your name Gina? That's so great. I bought the Chocolate Truffle flavored Nectar Whey Protein Isolate from Syntrax and it would be considered a "clear" from all I can tell. It's 23g protein, 0g fat, 0g sugar, and it says zero carbs as well. I think it was around $30 (from Amazon) for a 32oz bottle which makes 32.5 drinks (less than the $1.50 per drink if you buy boxes from the center). It's just another option if you DO you need a chocolate drink. I drink this and the fuzzy navel flavor every day (and add in a chicken broth clear HSN sometimes). I'm not telling you to vary what you're doing, just letting you know there are "good" chocolate options out there. You can research more if you want under that name (I got it from bigdog but I think she buys the fruit or lemonade flavors).

Originally Posted by nwcgina:
WI today...down to 174.6! (Started @ 183 on 10/31...so 8.4 lbs in 18 days...I'm stoked). I honestly can't believe each time I step on the scale that I continue to lose! I have NEVER been able to do that. I've been sticking OP even with the stress...and it has paid off. I keep the creamies for days when I really "need" a chocolate fix since I didn't order many to begin with since I didn't know I could have them so soon. Hoping I can stretch the 6 I have until the end of the month.

Just went to WI and was down .5 lbs. Not as much as I hoped for but at least it was a loss. I will sign the 30 pound board next week hopefully! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sigh, I didn't lose this week. Stayed exactly the same. Good news is I am down 28 inches and havent lost any muscle.

I wish I had been more focused this week. I didnt keep my food log, was lax on the exercise, and had wine more than once. I also bought my lunches out. I don't really know why, I think I just got kinda tired of the effort. But Thanksgiving is going to be a 3-day social event at the beach, so I really need to snap out of this. I have 6 days to focus and plan. Husband is going away for the weekend so I am going to eat the same thing Friday, Saturday and Sunday: fish and veggies. I'm going to hike at a wildlife refuge, and sew some pillows to keep myself busy in the evening. And I committed to going in for a WI before leaving on Wed. Oh, and drink water!

Originally Posted by patzi:
Hi....
I weighed in today and lost 1/2 pound, putting me 5 1/2 pounds under goal.
I tried the following this week.

Applesauce Nut bread. This is not an OP item for those who are losing. I had a slice each day with an HNS. Remember, when eating carbs, have a protein with it..

I was asked to speak at a maintenance meeting they are going to have. I declined speaking, but said I would answer any questions.. No one should have a problem with maintenance if they have been OP on losing weight, and not cheated thru it. There is nothing you cannot eat on maintenace, but if you do, have a slice, not the whole thing, one candy, not the whole box, etc.. That is the key.. Everything in moderation.

I did take the Cortitrim and MRC 6 or whatever it is called while losing weight, and the Cortitrum does help with making belly smaller for sure. I see that was brought up. I take none of that since hitting Maintenance.

Wishing y'all a great weigh in and remember staying OP is the trick.

Patzi

Patzi, that is so neat that they wanted you to speak! It made me wonder how much weight you have lost. I know you told your story once on here, but I can't remember. You sound like an incredibly focused person. Did you do other diets before this one stuck? Just wondering!

Originally Posted by Rocki:
Awesome job!! Is your name Gina? That's so great. I bought the Chocolate Truffle flavored Nectar Whey Protein Isolate from Syntrax and it would be considered a "clear" from all I can tell. It's 23g protein, 0g fat, 0g sugar, and it says zero carbs as well. I think it was around $30 (from Amazon) for a 32oz bottle which makes 32.5 drinks (less than the $1.50 per drink if you buy boxes from the center). It's just another option if you DO you need a chocolate drink. I drink this and the fuzzy navel flavor every day (and add in a chicken broth clear HSN sometimes). I'm not telling you to vary what you're doing, just letting you know there are "good" chocolate options out there. You can research more if you want under that name (I got it from bigdog but I think she buys the fruit or lemonade flavors).

Hi, Rocki do you like the Chocolate Truffle flavor? i'm getting ready to order. i'll definitely get some more chicken noodle soup too (wish i could find in bulk) yeah, i get Syntrax Orange and the Protidiet Pink Lemonade but i'm getting tired of them :-) i also get the Vanilla Creme protein powder from walmart... i need some more clear HNS choices...