just got back from fun family reunion and for the first time wasnt OP for 4 days!!! (was also camping) breakfast was OP and that was it...but surprisingly enough i didn't gain! didn't lose, but didnt gain - yay! i did try to stick to protein, carb for bfast, fruit, protein, veggies for lunch and protein, veggies, carb for dinner. had hotdog one day w/ no bun and pickles and V-8 , white chili (northern beans, chicken), cornbread, crabcakes, chocolate....but the difference was very small quantities, for example, tiny piece of cornbread...didn't really have veggies avail so had a couple V-8s a day - couple pieces of chocolate not the whole box. Walked alot and kept busy, drank lots of water. did make the chili w/ lots of onions and garlic and jalapenos...:-) the only thing i went overboard on was the spicy funyuns but after they were gone, drank lots of water and moved on! the funniest thing is my DH was going around to my relatives and telling them how much i lost and how great i look - haha! im a secret dieter and dont tell people i'm dieting so was like, shhhhhhhh. it was really funny and glad he was proud of me. i have some relatives that are very little so i know they were prob. looking at me like, really? but who cares -glad i have his support :-) i put the rest of the chocolate away and told him to please eat it very quickly!!!

read some of the posts and so glad everyone is doing so well! yay!

candi-thanks for the advice on the shakes. I have mine in the fridge ready for tomorrow! And the advice on the powder at room temp...helpful.

Just finished day 2 of the yellow plan. I'll admit, Day 1 was awful! I thought I was going to starve. But I was also trying to go without an HNS between meals. Today I had one between breakfast and lunch and that helped. 2 more days on this then on to the blue plan. I'm actually enjoying the salads (this coming from someone who used to tell people I was allergic to lettuce just because it made me gag).

Hi Patzi...just a big YES..you help me personally so very much with your posts. Please keep them coming!!

Hi BigDog! I have missed you! That is really great you didn't gain on a vacation - around FAMILY especially!! An interesting lesson about moderation, too.

Regarding the scales, I'm coming to the conclusion that I really should weigh at least 3 times a week- if I don't, blow little set-backs all out of proportion and freak myself out OR I simply go into denial and start packing it back on.
I just had a freak out last week because I had gone off program for a few days. I was certain I had gained a ton, but in truth, it was less than a pound when I finally faced it.

I hope you have a good week getting back on program!

Hi ladies!

My WI is tomorrow, and I am not nervous or anxious at all--for a change:) Ever since my counselor and I decided to push through November, then introduce Stabilization, I have been much less stressed. I believe I have lost weight this past week. But, I actually feel like I have been experiencing a little mind game with myself, also. It has actually been easier to stay OP being in a mind-set of that if I lose, I lose...if I don't, then I will just get back on the wagon and keep plucking along....I may even push through December, and begin Stabilization after the New Year. A week ago, you would not have heard me say that!!!!!

Quite simply, being happy at the weight you are at makes the journey so much more peaceful...and if there is a loss, it is just that much more of a feeling of success. I don't know if I am making sense...but I just plain feel more optimistic which equates to feeling more motivated:)

WORDS OF WISDOM: For those of you that are just starting this program, try not to be so hard on yourself. Try not to be in a hurry by putting a big number in your mind of what you expect yourself to lose each week, and instead just focus "one day at a time" eating OP, and the weight will come off on its own. Often it is not meeting our personal expectations of ourselves that leave us feeling frustrated and unmotivated. Adjust those so that if you expect a 1lb loss each week, and lose that or more, then you will be so happy and motivated to tackle the next 7 days! Because we are all different, it is wise not to ever compare progress to others...your results are yours....unique to you. Comparing serves no purpose but to discourage. Being realistic and forgiving of yourself doesn't mean you are losing sight of the ultimate prize, just means you will maintain the desire to keep pressing on, rather than to feel defeated which could lead to wanting to give up. This attitude has made a difference for me, and believe me...talking from experience, being hard on yourself isn't the answer to success on this or any weightloss program.

Just like "Bigdog....." If taking a scale with you is what works for you, then by all means...take it! I agree that not checking in on myself could lead to disaster. It is my way of holding myself accountable, and keeps unwanted weight from creeping back up unexpectedly....which none of us would want. My point is do what works for you...The menus are easy..."black & white," but we aren't!!!! This journey will also be a time of self reflection, which may just mean lasting weightloss:)

Hang in there, ladies! I, too, am so grateful for this board and the daily support on it.

I just wanted to pop back in and say hi to everyone. I've been off plan for about three weeks, and I've had so much going on that I've hardly even read anything on 3FC let alone had time to post. I've had a two week flu, and then my brother passed away (long story- we weren't extremely close, so I'm not having a lot of grieving troubles or anything, but it has meant I've had to make some trips home for my parents, and there's just been a lot to take care of). So, dieting hasn't been at the forefront for me lately.

However, I've been back on plan since Monday, and I'm doing pre-conditioning again for a week. I weighed in at 173.5 on Monday, which is only three pounds up. To be honest, I'm quite proud of that. I mainly focused on eating smaller amounts of everything even though I wasn't eating on plan, and I think it worked. I hold more water when eating carbs, so I'm hoping the three pounds are mostly water anyway.

I'm actually looking forward to being back on plan, and I feel fresher now, with a little more momentum, so hopefully that will help carry me through the holidays. I have a trip home again this weekend for the memorial service, and then there's thanksgiving, but I decided to start right back once I got over the flu and not put it off-- that's where I would have run into trouble. There's always some reason to put it off till tomorrow or next week.

I noticed there are lots of new people in the last few weeks-- welcome!

Thanks for the advice, Tamikl. I keep telling myself that if I lose one pound a week from here on out I would be extremely happy and successful (yet part of me wants to see a big number...okay, I've only been at it a little over a week and lost almost 5...I don't expect to lose that much per week going forward). I need to map out what losing one pound a week would look like as far as when I would reach my goal. That may help me keep in perspective...thanks for the thoughts!!!

it was 30 degreees in the mountains where we were camping and i had two sweatshirts on and big boots most of the time. i told my brother i had lost weight and he started laughing because how could you tell w/ all the clothes i had on?.. he gave me a big hug and said i felt thinner through all the layers. haha!! we actually did have canned green beans and my DH grilled tuna and made crab cakes so that was OP. realized i don't miss macaroni salad, coleslaw or hot dog chili...it was too much...now if someone had bought over mac and cheese...yeah, i would have ate that! :-) what helped me was having cheese, turkey breast, boiled eggs so if i got hungry just ate that. i did pack some protein bars but didn't eat them since i was eating a few brownies over the weekend... w/ the Fitness Pal i track my food in, realized if i'm not MRC OP, at least i know to keep the calories at 1200 or less per day.... we had the big jugs of water w/ a spout so kept filling up my huge water travel cup. the MRC plan is so great! before when i was on WW, it was too flexible and i couldn't keep up w/ the points.
so will prob. wait to weigh in on friday...if i'm driving an hour to the center, i want at least to have a couple pound loss :-) chugging water!!

HI everyone! I just read through the whole November thread, as I haven't been in here since October. :( No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth, I've just lost motivation. Life has gotten in the way and I've been basically gaining and losing the same 5lbs. for about 6 weeks. I'm thinking I just need a break so I can get my head back into it. I'm dealing with lots of stuff right now, and sometimes food is one less thing that i need to think about. My center doesn't want me to take a break because they think I won't come back. *I* think that I just mentally need a break, and after the 1st of the year I'll be back and in the right mindset. I don't know what I'm going to do for sure, but I'm frustrated.

I love reading about all of your successes--it helps motivate me a little, but I also like reading about your trials as well--Not that I like that anyone is having trouble, but it does make me feel less alone.

I DID just get 3 new pairs of jeans in the mail. They really look great on me, but are much lower rise than I'm used to, so I'm not sure how comfortable I'll be in them. It feels good to be able to put on a pair of jeans though, and not feel restricted. :)

Daily weigh in...
To me that is a personal decision..l have to weigh in daily,and I do take a scale with me if possible. For me, weighing in daily has always kept me on my toes if scale was up, focus as to why, and get it back down.. My friend weighs in only at center , 2 days a week, and that has worked fine for her. I always weigh in same time each morning, 5:30AM when I get up. I do not weigh in until the following morning.
Wishing everyone a great day and great weigh losses.

Patzi

Hi, everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted on 3FC and I've never visited this forum, but I decided to try MRC. Today is day 1 of pre-conditioning. It's almost 1pm and all I've done today is obsess over food. I've nearly had my 64 oz of water for the day already because I'm afraid if I don't have something to do with my mouth, I'll eat. :o

I was told that I could have one caffeinated beverage per day, whether it be coffee or a diet soda, etc., but from what I'm reading here that doesn't seem to be true. Any input?

I'm so scared about picking this time of the year to get started. It feels like I am just setting myself up for failure with the holidays around the corner. I thought about waiting, but then I realized that by the beginning of the new year, I could be nearly halfway to my goal if I'd just start now. Sounds pretty good to me!

I go to Food Instruction this Friday and will get my menu plan. I have a lingerie shower to attend Friday night and it's after dinner hours so I will be sure to eat beforehand and just nibble on veggies, but it's the alcohol that will be tempting to me! My counselor suggested that I have a drink with vodka in it if I really wanted to have one and to keep pre-conditioning through the weekend and start my menu on Monday. We'll see.

So, a little about myself here...I am married, I have 4 kids ranging in age from preschool to high school, and I work very part-time (about 6 hours a week.) After I had my fourth baby (which was 5 years ago), I started Weight Watchers and went from 160 to 138. I stopped following WW but kept the weight off for 2 years using portion control and running. 2009 was a very bad year for me personally...just lots of stress, family problems, losing my best friend to cancer, losing my 17 year old dog to cancer, etc. I gained all the weight I had lost back plus more over the next 2 years. I have tried WW and calorie counting over and over again only to derail quickly. It's really discouraging to me to work so hard and only lose 0.5 pound a week, or none. I decided to try MRC for faster results. I'm going to be on the 17 week plan and my goal is to lose 40 pounds, but I'd like to try for closer to 50 pounds.

Oh, and just so you know, my username is not indicative of my self-esteem, lol. It's a reference to where I live...Rzrbackcandi will understand!

Well said, Tami! I should print this out and tape by my scales!

You know, the centers promise 3-5 pounds per week, which is not attainable for most of us, and probably isn't even safe. I think it sets us up to feel like we are failing when we are not. This makes some of us more vulnerable to their sales pitches for unproven supplements. I have had a consultant act like a 2-pound loss was barely good enough. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves !!

Thanks, Tami!

You are welcome :) I totally agree with you...as I have been told 3-5lbs was attainable. Not consistently, that is for sure!!!!

I had a 2 lb loss today, and am very happy with that :) Heck, I am happy when I don't gain!!! All in perspective!

Welcome, 1bighog. I'm with you in that I had tried (and tried and tried) calorie counting, but was never successful, fell off track easily. I joined MRC to try to have someone keep me accountable. And it has helped:) Okay, so I've just been on it (including preconditioning) 9 days. But I will tell you that the first day of preconditioning (and 2nd) was hard, then it go easier. Now I started the yellow plan and the first day sucked, but 2nd was easy, 3rd not so bad, then just one more day for me:) I figure if I"m paying this much money there is no way in heck I'm eating anything off plan. Like you I work very part-time so money is tight, but we decided it was worth the investment if I stick to it...and I will!! I even had to make the dessert for a women's meeting last night and didn't take a lick while making it nor did I eat any...and it was one of my faves. When I get to maintenance, that's when I can learn how to eat those treats on occasion.

As for the discussion on what a weight loss per week should be...soooo helpful. I did lose 5 lbs my first 9 day...in the past 4 days I "only" lost 1 lb and my consultant/counselor/whatever you call her sounded like that was "just okay". Heck...to be honest...I've never been able to lose 5 lbs in a MONTH. If I lose 1 lb a week from here on out I will reach my goal by mid-May (my 9 year wedding anniversary). The counselor originally told me early to mid Feb and I think that's still her goal...and if that happened, awesome. And I'm sure some weeks I'll see big losses, some none, and I have to be okay with that and not base my self worth on that.

Thank you, thank you.

I've gotta say--today (1st day of pre-conditioning) was hard! My day is not quite over and I'm about to crack. I foresee an early bedtime so I can just not feel hungry. And I'm not even sure that hunger is what I'm feeling. I don't feel great, that's for sure.

I ate breakfast--45 calorie wheat bread with melted cheese on top and a boiled egg--around 8:00 this morning. I had to go to the grocery store, so after my morning chores, I quickly ate some bagged salad so that I wouldn't be terribly hungry at the store. That was about 10:20. I stuck with my list and the store trip was a success. I fed my son and didn't feel an urge to sneak a bite here and there of his food. At 2:20 I felt hungry, so I made a bigger salad and this time added a boiled egg, some turkey, cucumber slices, cheese, and a huge peach on the side. Oh, by this time I'd already had my 64 oz of water. (I had coffee with my breakfast, too.)

That is the time of day that is the hardest for me. I'm pretty tired from either the work I've around the house, at my job, or running errands, and I've got to prepare myself for kids coming home from school. This is the time of day where I'll grab my 2nd soda of the day and eat some sugary food as well. Didn't do that today. I did lay down for a 20 minute power nap at 4:30...I couldn't take it anymore.

I got up and began to prepare dinner for my family (spaghetti.) It wasn't as torturous as I envisioned, but in the middle of dinner prep, I felt a little dizzy. I drank some more water and grabbed the first thing I saw that would be safe for today--canned tuna. I ate it straight out the can after I drained it. I'm not dizzy anymore, but I don't feel good. I've got some asparagus roasting in the oven right now and that should complete my dinner. Oh, I guess I get to have one more starch/bread and 1 more fruit today.

I'm looking forward to an early bedtime, not because I'm tired, but so I can stop feeling like this. I'm glad to hear each day is better than the last.

Well said and you are exactly right! my doctor told me if i took all the supplements they are pushing, then i would lose the weight faster but once i stopped taking them, i would regain. i'm happy to lose even a pound a week and if it's a half pound that's fine w/ me as long as i'm not gaining! :-) the only time the Center gets excited is when i lose 3 lbs so sometimes when i'm happy about 1.5 or 2 lbs, they'll lecture me and say, what can we do to get you to lose more? blah blah blah, it really demotivates me but i just shake it off and get on these boards and let you guys motivate me! :-)
i guess the counselors really do make money off the supplements so that's their sales pitch...the food combinations are good and i am glad the extra protein is working to help me lose so all good!

are you drinking the HNS's? (protein drinks) those really helped me alot and i never feel hungry. you can have 3 to 4 a day and they really help you lose and keep your energy level up. (i order the Pink Lemonade Protidiet large container or the Syntax Orange protein powder from Diet Direct)
you can order from the Center too...the individual packs are 7 to a box...

Not yet. I was told I would get that stuff after my Food Instructional meeting on Friday, along with my menu plan.

When I was on preconditioning the things that helped were a couple of eggs at breakfast and I did "cheat" and have a cheesestick between my noon and evening meals. I still lost 4 lbs on preconditioning. If you are still hungry, keep getting protein & the veggies. I also liked hot tea in the evening...kept the munchies away.

My counselor said I could eat extra, just stick with the pre-conditioning list. But to be honest, my usual diet mostly consists of a lot of starch, carbs, and sugar...all the stuff missing off that darn list! When the afternoon rolled around I was thinking about a hunk of cheese or another boiled egg, but I just didn't want it. I know I don't eat enough protein and I was already tired of the stuff I ate today.

It will be worth it.

Sorry for all the posting! Just need to tell someone that can sympathize.

So I was pretty surprised yesterday that I didn't get a headache from caffeine withdrawal. I only had 1 coffee today and normally I would have that plus 2 sodas. Well, at bedtime I did feel a headache coming on. I didn't take anything because I thought sleep would help, but I woke up today with the headache! Just popped some meds and hoping today will be easier because I'm busier and won't have time to obsess over food!

post as much as you want! that's what these boards are for... i write a book everytime i post and haven't been kicked off the boards yet..LOL! i got so much wornderful advice from everyone here and food suggestions so i wouldnt be bored.

Vent away. I was drinking about 2 cups of coffee per day before starting, I quit that cold turkey. About 6 days in I did have a small cup because I was really going into withdrawl, but other than that it was good. I did drink Diet Rite (1 can/day) during the deconditioning. I also found Gingerbread Spice decaf tea...with a packet of truvia is a good little treat. I do miss the coffee, not so much physically anymore, but on a cold morning like today it just sounds good.

I haven't really craved high carb foods since starting, but today my "friend" came and now I really am ready to eat all of the kids' halloween candy, bread, anything I can find. I haven't and I won't, but I want to. I may have a HNS chocolate pudding at lunch today if I still have this strong desire (not supposed to start it til tomorrow, but I figure it's better than a snickers).

Had to pop in for a moment to say :wave:

You know that wheel I mentioned that I wanted to get off. It sucked me back in.

I got to work Monday morning and at 8:50 am I get a call from my manager. I didn't think a thing of it and said, "What can I help you with?" His reply, "Fly to Michigan."

Excuse me?! After I picked my jaw up off the floor and spent the next couple of hours making travel arrangements, I quickly went home, packed a bag, organized everything for my husband where our munchkin is concerned (laid out clothes, made lunches, etc). Next thing you know, I was on a 3:00 flight to Grand Rapids and didn't get back until last night.

All in all, I did pretty good while I was up there. I did get all my water and most of my HNS in. Took almost all my supplements. While I wasn't able to eat all meals on plan (catered lunches), I did take my F&C Blockers. And...no snacking when I left our supplier's plant. Woohoo for me! :)

I'll catch up on all the posts soon, but just wanted to say that I'm back and it feels good. :)

It is so funny you say that...because yes, the pudding is better than the Snickers...for our overall health, anyway...lol

I had asked MRC if I could eat pumpkin seeds over Halloween...and of course, the answer was NO. My justification for going ahead was the same as yours, since Snicker bars are my weakness! I just so relate :) Hang in there. My little girl insists on making brownies every Friday night...and that has been tough for me:( But, I have figured out how to make some yummy "HNS Creamy treats" that make me feel less deprived. As you go along, you will become more creative with the OP options, and you won't feel so overwhelmed and bored with what you can have. If someone didn't like cheese or eggs, I don't know how they would do this program...If I get hungry during the day, I just grab a protein type snack..but I don't hesitate, because the flip side is likely a poor choice if I let myself get too hungry.

Good advice from Tami. (as usual!!!). I have blood-sugar issues that make it very hard to go from lunch to dinner without a snack. Even the clear HNS doesn't really help. So if I need an extra creamy, or a couple ounces of protein, I go ahead. The alternative would likely be junk food the moment I walked in the door.

See the thread titled Why No Coffee? It turns out that caffeine messes with insulin and the adrenals, and I forget what else when I read that, it did justify the rule. That said, I still have it in the AM. Cutting it out in the day and focusing on water had made me feel so much better, must say! Good luck!

Caffiene dehydrates you (messing with the adrenals)...and when you are on a high protein diet, you are more prone to constipation...made worse if you are dehydrated. So even if you are drinking 64 oz, drinking caffiene with the high protein can make you more likely to be constipated.

Does anyone have preferences for creamies? I know everyone's tastes are different...I already have the pudding and hot chocolate...are any of the other ones good? I figured out how many more HNS's I need to make it through the end of the year...since I only ordered 1 creamy my first round...I want more of those:)

Hi everybody! I'm new here, but have been reading comments for a couple of months. I really enjoy the forum! I started MRC in late September and have lost 16 lbs. so far. I am on the green menu now and everything has been going pretty well up until the last 2 weeks. I have only lost 1 1/2 lbs. in these past 2 weeks. I will admit that I have had to mishaps, where the food was seasoned with butter at one meal (sirloin and veggies), the 2nd mishap beef (sirloin steak) stew was served that had potatoes and carrots included. But, I did limit myself to the amount of one serving. Could these two off program meals have slowed my progress down that much? So far this week haven't lost any more lbs. I would appreciate any input you might have. Thanks!

Great post Tamikl - real good points! Just wanted I needed to read today - have been pretty hard on myself for not putting up huge numbers and still feeling the need to snack at times. I always grab veggies or string cheese and as you said better that then letting myself get to hungry and going for something worse. Thank You :)

How much to go down a size?
 

I have been on MRC since the end of September. So far I have lost 26.5 lbs. I have not gone down a size in my clothes yet. I have a couple of pair of pants that I simple can't keep on any longer but the couple of pair that I have in the next smaller size are too tight. I was wondering how much I have to lose to get to the next smaller size. I really thougth I would be there by now.

I started about a week after you and lost about 15 lbs, then slowed down these last couple of weeks as well, without cheating. So did a friend of mine who started at the same time. I think it's a natural plateau and will correct itself soon. Just call me Pollyanna. :-) But they did put me on Medi-Quick and a Plateau Buster for four days to kick start it again. I weigh in tomorrow and will see how it worked.

I don't think there's a set amount. It varies depending on your height and starting weight, and maybe your body type. I'm a lot shorter than you, and a 15 pound loss seems to have taken me down a size in some pants, but not others. I'm apple-shaped and carry most of weight in my middle.

i'm at a stand still - haven't gained, but hadn't lost. wonder if the colder weather is making me store fat? like a bear hibernating? :-) i'm still walking every am but thinking i need to exercise in the pm too. i'm also working on stepping up my water intake to see if that will move things along. i have been working late every night and hadn't been drinking water like i should so need to make myself do that. may have to switch also from the cooked veggies back to salads...i'm thinking my French trained Chef of a husband has been putting too much olive oil, etc in the veggies...because they are "too" good. lol! plus i've been eating flank steak more than three times a week. will be having fish tonight....:dancer:

You are so funny!! Yes, I think the cold weather could have something to do with it! Couldn't be anything we are doing!! LOL

If anything is "too good" to be true or healthy...it likely is :) I always eat fish the night before a WI...don't know if that helps or not?!

Hang in there...you have an awesome sense of humor for all of this, and we all need that!

That is 26lbs in a month and a half!!! OMGosh!!!!!!!!!!!! Who cares what size pants you wear right now? Could be you are losing in other areas at the moment. Losing weight at this rate, you will be going down in size very soon!! I am a "scale" person, so the # on the scale is my motivator...Yours might be the inches lost.

Relish what is happening! Many people would give a great deal to have the success you have had in such a short time!

I am glad that my insights have helped you :) My counselor did tell me that it would be better to grab a hard-boiled egg over a cheese stick...but either one is better than other things! Just so long as we have something to grab, right? LOL

The "creamy" options are endless....and they are yummy, and a staple in my personal journey! I look forward to my "one" each day!!

I didn't care much for the chocolate pudding or the cappacino, but I like the vanilla pudding, and there are many things you can do with that. I also like the cocoa..simply to make the brownies with. Lastly, the chocolate crisps are good. They are a quick option. You can mix them, too. I have heard of some making the vanilla pudding and sprinkling the crisps on it. (In this case you only use 1/2 of each packet.) I like the chocolate milkshake...you add ice, vanilla pudding, hot cocoa packet and blend! I save half for another day and freeze it. If you go to the recipe board, there are many ideas! But those are the 3 I keep in my pantry all the time. Oh! The Tomato Basil is considered a "creamy" also...so if you cook with it, that is your creamy for the day. I think it is good.

Have fun with it!

Tami, I just noticed you are in the 160's! Congratulations on reaching that milestone. :congrat:

Y-Weight loss and clothes size loss aren't linear...meaning some months you will lose more pounds and not as many inches, the next month maybe the opposite. So there isn't a 20 lbs=1 size....especially considering everyone is a different height and body build. I would rather lose the inches/size, but that isn't as fast, so the scale is motivating me for now.

Made it through my rough "I want to eat everything" day and I only made two concessions: 1 is I had my HNS pudding a day before I was supposed to. The second is I had a really spicy homemade venison chili last night for supper rather than my "regular supper". It was a small bowl with no crackers or anything. The spicy helped fill me with a small serving and I am ready to be back at it strong today and not having the same cravings...and the kids' Halloween candy lived to see another day:) I keep sending some with my hubby to work...it just isn't leaving fast enough.