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).

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).

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!

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!

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...

way to go! woo hoo! i was just thinking the same thing today that i have never continously lost weight, even on Weight Watchers. i'd lose a lb, then gain 2, then lose 2, blah blah blah. at first i was like i will never get near or at goal and sure enough stuck to this and week to week losing weight. those .5 to 2 lbs a week have added up.

Rocki-thanks...yes, my name is Gina. I do have some chocolate pb protein isolate that I use as a "clear" when I need a 3rd (it comes out to about 50 cents per serving). Today I didn't need one. Fuzzy navel sounds gooooood.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Pumped about this.

it's just water weight...i swear if i have wine or beer, i retain water..but that's ok, i love to go out and socialize :-) last Sat. at the Oyster Roast, everyone kept offering me a seat at the bar and i said, nope, i'm standing up so the beer calories go straight to my feet! LOL! i seem to be doing more of the meal replacements for lunch and sometimes even dinner because i don't feel like finding something to eat OP. i looked at my journal when i was losing at least 2 lbs/week and some of my meals were either a protein bar and a V-8 or a replacement shake! and 3-4 HNSs.. Totally not OP but i was working on alot of deadlines so was eating on the Go alot. what i used to do was get take out fast food or grab cookies or chocolate . i'd put peanut butter on them for protein! my DH was bring home homemade Key lime pie, etc and i was eating that for meals. hmmm....i don't know why i was gaining weight? hello?
very cool you're going to be at the beach for T-giving! we live 15 min from the beach so are going out there after our late lunch. Christmas, prob headed to Florida for a secret getaway woo hoo!!

what i meant by water weight is that if you drink tons of water, the scale will reflect your true lower weight. Congrats on losing all those inches!!!!

great easy soup for a chilly night
 

Ok, made a soup (since my dogs ate the last can in the house) using a packet of Chicken bouillon HNS, added some reg. chicken bouillon, small can 6 oz. chicken breast, green beans, sauted green onions and 1/2 can kidney beans. added Mrs. Dash spicy and garlic powder...

it's really good!!! 2 servings but actually will be 4 servings...it's alot of soup!
lacking 2 oz protein for 2 servings so had some cubed cheese.
i realized making this that before i'd use potatoes, corn and carrots (all carbs) so i was kind of lost on what else to add veggie wise...

WI today and lost 2 pounds! If I can lose one more, I will be 10 pounds below my goal, which would be nice going into the holidays! Not that I'm going to go crazy or anything, but it would be nice and probably would actually help me stay on track to keep myself there-you know it's all a mind game! I got my 1200 calorie menu today so now I'm on my own to decide what I eat at each meal. But, it seems to me it would make sense to just keep following my last stabilization menu for the most part--I've pretty much got a routine down at this point, so I figure why mess with it?!!

Congrats to everyone losing this week and stay strong through the next week! I love what someone posted about how this is not our last meal! Great thing to keep in mind this time of year!

Yea, BigDog, I hope you are right. I got that Wonderslim sample pack from DietDirect and was thinking about trying some of those meal replacements for lunch at work for the ease. Although I don't for the life of me know how they get Mac and cheese in an envelope. Ha.

My beach house friends are like family- 3 couples have owned together for over 15 years. They used to be critical of my diet attempts but now we are older they are all getting fatter and I'm getting thinner! The women have that menopause shape. I really want to get it under control so I don't look like that . I love them, but... That said, I'll probably mix my HNS in the bathroom so I I dont have to explain what this wierd stuff is.

Awesome! Awesome! You've got this thing handled!

goneforgood.
You are amazing, 10 pounds under goal. You have some wiggle room there. Today I am 5 1/2 pounds under goal.. You are doing so well, and you are an inspiration for sure.. Feels good going into the holiday in this manner, not that I will over indulge, but I have room if I gain some weight.. It is great to have mastered maintenance.. It makes one really focused not to gain the weight back.. I am very happy for you.

Patzi

Thank you, Patzi! It's people like you who have been so committed to this program for the "long haul" and who keep contributing to this forum on a regular basis who are the inspiration for me! Hearing your continued success is so motivating! I am determined to keep it off this time and know there will be struggles along the way. I plan to lean on the support offered here to get me through those struggles! No more yo-yo dieting for me! I've never felt better and want to continue this healthier lifestyle forever.

that's why i don't tell people i'm dieting - they are so critical and probably a little jealous which i think is crazy. maybe i'm weird but i am thrilled when someone is successful at losing weight or whatever their goal is in life...not envious. one of my "friends" last week kept encouraging me to eat more and asked if i was on a grapefruit diet? what i find myself doing also is when i'm out and eating and if the food isn't worth the calories, i don't eat it. i'm not obsessive but it's like, this isn't really that good so i'm not eating it. With the protein bars, i do have to put them out of reach and out of mind at home. i put one in the pantry a day and that's it. the rest are kept in the bottom of the china cabinet out of the way! and sometimes i'll take a bite of one when i'm craving sweets and put it back in the fridge. try to limit myself to one a day. On the road they really fill me up. i keep them in the car too. i also buy that double chocolate cake from Diet Direct that you cook in the microwave...at first i thought it was awful but added strawberries on top for lunch and a teaspoon of lite cool whip (a no no! but it's like 5 cal.) i really don't think i got fat on lite cool whip? :-) the bars are better though. what HNSs do you use? i'm trying to lose 2 lbs by Wed. (my next weigh in.) i seem to be stuck on 177. BTW, i was blaming my weight on menapause and my doctor said women don't gain weight on menapause, it just accumulates more around the waist area when you gain weight...so i stopped using that as an excuse. my weight gain came from eating the same stuff as my DH, nachos, buffalo wings, hamburgers, pizza, popcorn and eating the homemade pies and cookies he was bringing home. yikes!! good to be back to eating what i used to eat before i married him!! :-)

Went to a WI yesterday--down 9 lbs total. I got the green menu in case I can't make it to the center on Monday; I'm supposed to start green on Tuesday.

We are leaving town Tuesday evening and I plan on going off program. We are going to my parents' house and I do not want them to know I am on a diet. My mom has tons of issues with my weight...we actually got into a fight two years ago at Thanksgiving over my weight and we haven't seen each other since. I swore I wouldn't go back to her house but my sister asked if I would reconsider because she, her husband, and their twin girls will be going for the first time since the girls were born and they want us all together. I said I could be a grown up and come together for the sake of the family, but we are staying at a hotel.

I think I am going to take my own MRC breakfast to eat in the hotel every morning. We'll be spending the day at my parents' house, so that means lunch and dinner with them. My mom is a fabulous cook and loves to stuff people, but I am going to be very careful about my portion sizes.

Like I said in an earlier post, I have eliminated my carb/sugar craving and I'm afraid that partaking in it at my parents' house, even in small amounts, will kick start a craving for it again. I don't want to have to go through "detox" again--it was awful! I need to remember that.

Anyway, that will be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Saturday will be a full day of driving home) that I will be off program. My goal during that time is weight maintenance. :)

Chocolate Dream Cookies
 

Chocolate Dream Cookies

Chocolate Shake Mix 1 pkt
Egg Whites 3
Vanilla Extract 1 tsp
No Stick Cooking Spray As needed

Prepare baking sheet by spraying with no stick cooking spray. Beat egg whites until dry and stiff. Add shake mix and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly without over mixing. Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 min. Serve. Makes 10 cookies.

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories: 15, Protein: 2g, Carbohydrate: 1g, Fat: 0g, Fiber: g

these are very good! i've tried to use other recipes and they tasted like chocolate flavored eggs yuck! using just the egg whites eliminate that eggy taste - learn something new every day! i got this recipe off the Diet Direct website (under recipes) another source to keep us OP by adding variety :-)

Family!!! right? don't get me started! at my heaviest, my oldest sister who has always been jealous of me (can i help i'm the youngest girl and was my mom's favorite? get over it already!!!) LOL! but i do credit her with me starting this diet..she took horrible photos of me backside, bending over in June and emailed them to my entire family, cousins, 2nd cousins, aunts uncles.. i was horrified!!!!!!!!! i did notice that earlier this month when i went home to visit, not ONE photo was taken. hmmmm...and i was looking good! :-) anyway, if i was in your situation, i would eat small portions and if there are veggies, pile them on your plate. if you are taking a dish, make it veggies. you can always lie and say your doctor said your sugar was high and was concerned about diabetes so has you watching your carb intake. in my case, when people p*** me off, it makes me more stubborn to do what i want to do and focus on my goals. the h*** with them! i understand completely...my dad would say...don't get rid of your fat clothes you know you'll gain it back. my aunt would say, when i die, i'd leave you my clothes if you weren't so big (i used to tell her if i smoked cigarettes and drank coffee all day like she did, i'd be dead so what's the point?) my mom used to ask me before Christmas, what size do you wear now? i'd be like, just get me shoes, ok? anyway, this is what i have to say. just repeat after me, this is all about you and no one can make you eat anything or do anything that you don't want to do. and think....ME, ME, ME, it's all about ME!!:goodvibes Congrats on the 9 lbs lost!!! thats incredible!!!!

Diet Direct SALE
 

Sale at the Diet Direct Website.. $10 off purchase of $59 plus free shipping on anything over $49. use code HOLLY10.

noticed the BariWise bars have a little more protein (12-15) than the Wonderslim bars that i normally order.. and on sale for $9.29 for a box of 7. got the variety pack...

BariWise Protein Bars
7 Servings Per Box

Flavors: Caramel Crunch, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Marshmallow, Double Peanut Butter, Caramel Brownie, Oatmeal, Peanut Caramel, Rockie Road, Strawberry Cheesecake, Caramel Nut, Peanut Butter & Jelly

These delicious protein diet bars are 150-160 calories with 12-15 grams of protein. BariWise bars feature a "protein blend" of isolated soy protein, whey protein isolate and calcium caseinate.

Key features of the BariWise Protein Bars:

150 to 180 Calories Per Bar (depending on flavor)
High Protein - 12 to 15 grams Per Bar (depending on flavor)
Lower Fat - 3 to 7 grams Per Bar (depending on flavor)
Low Cholesterol - 0 to 5mg (depending on flavor)
Trans Fat Free
Good Source of Calcium and Iron - 10% of the Daily Value


got the Syntax Chocolate Truffle protein mix (based on Rocki's suggestion - the reviews says it's good too!) they rave about the Fuzzy Navel too so will try that next.) get a free sample too (i did notice they used to send 2 samples but now one...oh well, it's free and i like that! LOL

Good luck bigdog.. I DO really like the chocolate truffle. It's like chocolate milk. I only do about 4-6 oz of water. I think it would taste watered down if I did the full 8oz. I'm not sold on the fuzzy navel. The reviews were really good, but I'm not that crazy for it. It tastes too "diety" for me, and it's VERY sticky. My daughter spilled some and hubby was like "what's in this crap?"..it was really gross. oh, and it bubbles up a LOT. I have to let it sit before I drink it. I think you'll like the chocolate though. Did you get the chicken soup from Diet Direct also, or do you get that @ the center?

my oh my there are some nasty family members to our great ladies here! I don't know how you all deal with that. I've had a couple of aunts say I was getting too skinny (when I was down to 124 a few years back on MRC), but overall everyone was VERY supportive. I can't believe someone took pics of your butt bigdog and emailed to your family. How horrible and onebighog..omg..what a horrible time with your mother. PLEASE don't let her derail your progress. Eating "like normal" again will be very difficult to come back from. I totally understand you wanting to not let her know what you're doing, but don't sabotage yourself because of it. This is SO hard, just try and do the best you can! Make the best choices you can with the food being served. It's SO much easier said than done, I know. I'm HORRIBLE about doing it. I totally cave and eat a TON. I'm very worried about Thanksgiving, but I'm really hoping I'll have lost more weight by then and it will be motivation to keep at it and not go overboard! The best thing is we're going out to dinner and will have no leftovers here at home. I am, however, going to Orlando Tuesday-Thursday and will have to stay strong. We'll have a fridge so I'm going to take salad fixings, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. My mother-in law is bringing a small microwave so I'll take my chicken soup mixes as well.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend and great week ahead.
I just got a postcard from my center today and it says "Returning clients - lose up to 30 pounds for just $59". I made an appointment for Monday AM to "possibly" sign up. I just had the push on pills. I'll have to stay strong on that point. I think the accountability will help and if it's just $59 it's not as much money..We shall see!

my Syntax orange bubbles up a lot too! im getting tired of it so mix w/ diet sprite and put in my GE single blender. some of my other protein shakes smell awful if i don't clean the big blender right away...like maybe i don't want to know what's in it? LOL! glad i have the single blender now, cleans up much easier - i love it!!! for lunch i mix frozen strawberries or blueberries or sometimes both in the orange mix.... w water. add a little vanilla protein powder too... i like to be creative :-)

probably why i live in SC and my family lives in VA - hahaha!!! we love each other and never fight...just talk about each other behind each others back. HA HA!!! it drives my husband crazy. he's like why don't you tell her (oldest sis) how you feel...i'm like what's the point? and mostly plan my visits when she's out of town..it's like oh, shoot, i didn't realize you were going to be out of town...HA! to tell you the truth, she has always taken horrible photos, of people eating, side views, whatever...don't think she meant to hurt me intentionally...im just very self conscious.. she's prob. still mad at me for tearing up her barbie dolls at a young age and being so darn cute when i was a baby :-) oh, get this, she always hugs my husband and not me!!! isn't that hilarious? and she did tell my husband when we were dating that i wasn't ready for marriage. (he was going to propose to me over Christmas at my parent's house) so he freaking waited for 6 mths!!! (don't get me started) hmmm.... i think i'll lose 2 more lbs this week just to get her goat (hahah-hows that for motivation) :-) Sorry for the TMI!!!!

Bigdog (what is your REAL name?)..When you mix the diet Sprite with fruit and HNS it doesn't fizz up b/c of the carbonation? I have a single blender called "Shake & Take" and just made a blackberry, vanilla pudding HNS smoothy. Would love to mix some diet soda into the fuzzy naval..that would be good. Also, that is just crazy about your sister! OMG about her hugging your hubby and telling him you weren't ready for marriage. How long have you been married now? And do you buy your chicken soup @ the center?

it's Big Dog :-) i can't tell you my real name because then i can't talk about my family and my center on these posts HA HA! i actually changed my dog's pic because i realized everyone i know knows my "children" LOL! been married 17 years..he's the love of my life....my sister is always hitting on my husband! haha, it's hilarious. alot of women hit on him and i tell them if they want to take him away, go ahead...if they can :-) i would just get another german shepherd...KIDDING!!! not sure why it's not fizzy...i do add ice ... if i make it without ice, it's fizzier... i have the GE single blender..17 parts...i can make a shake and take it with me. my early Christmas present to myself :-) actually it was recommended from this forum.. i got the chicken soup from DietDirect...

Thanks dog! :)

OMG! You know exactly where I'm coming from!! I hate that your family makes you feel that way, too, but glad someone can understand my position! Even when I was a size 4/6 (after Weight Watchers), my mom would try to give me some of her old clothes, saying, "Here, these will fit you better than me." They were size 12s! I would toss them back and proudly say they were too big, and my mom said, "Are you sure? Your clothes look too tight. That's not a good look for your age." Ugh!!

Thanks for your support and have a great trip!

ggoddess, somehow i missed this post! sorry. I live in Washington but work in downtown Portland so I heard ALL about that game, as I do every Ducks game. (used to live in Corvallis, too, so there's a bit of Beaver in me, unfortunately) We do have similar stats - so I'll be watching your success.

well, guess what Bigdog: I'm down a pound since yesterday. It WAS water weight. I'd really like to see another vanish by Wed. just kind of a mental victory before the big weekend ahead. Its fish all weekend! My favorite HNS are green tea, pomegranite/cranberry, and surprisingly - grape. I got that one day by mistake and thought i would hate it but I like it! Its kind of a little kid taste :) I just got home from a 1-hour walk in my neighborhood, which is very hilly. Good for the butt. Now its off to the fabric store for something to keep me busy tonight!