Hey everyone! I haven't been on the board for a while due to Holidays and traveling and trying to get caught up at work, but I am back and I think I need to come here daily just to keep my focus on this plan. It's hard to stay OP all the time but many of your posts motivate me and give me great ideas. I love the Strawberry Frozen Yogurt recipe!!!! I also haven't been tracking my food because I dont like those sheets they give me at the office. I'm thinking I will just use a journal I have already and track my meals there. It's not as obvious and easier to carry with me. I tell them I track it mentally, but they keep on me. I really am terrible at writing stuff down. I've lost 11 lbs in the first 3 weeks and setting a small goal of 15lbs by 4wks. My more long-term goal for the month of January is to track my meals in a journal.
Darcy, I made my own tracking sheets in excel. The ones they gave me were not tailored to my plan and were crazy small. My sheets have really helped me eat "cleaner". I track exercise, weight and food on mine. Sounds like you're doing great.
Congrats to Jen...you continue to be such an inspiration girl!!!!
Had my WI today and was down another pound...which considering my past week with New Years parties, etc...I was quite pleased! I also will be starting Stabilization on Monday...so pretty excited about that...and very ready.
While I think it is a challenge to lose weight, I am a bit nervous about these next steps. I have a feeling that learning to keep it off will be a challenge, too. Glad to have this forum!
Keep up the great work ladies...and stay focused! It IS worth it!
Tami, you will do great on stabilization. I know what you mean bout being a little nervous...but embrace the new you and new body and you will learn what your body needs to maintain.
Tami...
You will do great on stabilization.. It is a good feeling to be there.. If you need any help please feel free to ask... Now you will start to have what you have missed on the regular diet.. You have done a wonderful job and as I have always said, if you work the diet, it works for you and you are a great inspiration for others... Happy for you.
Totally agree! TAmi you have always had the best attitude and are very honest! You WILL do great and you can trust yourself to male the right decisions.
New Year, new motivation!!! Restarting plan!! Chickadee, would you be opposed to sending me a copy of your excel spreadsheet? I also think the food journal you get from the center is waaaaay too small!! You can PM me here!! Thanks so much!!
Do any of you happen to have the directions on how to make the MRC strawberry-banana gelatin (Jello)? I have two packages left, but threw the box away and apparently that's where the directions were printed. I know it's a few oz of hot and cold water, but I can't remember exactly. Anyone know?
Welcome Amy and good luck. Look forward to hearing about your success.
Leo, I really like your tips. I work full time and have very active kids. In all sports and church events, so we do spend a lot of evenings away from home. Also, my husband works 2-10 in the evenings, so I am like a single mom. Organization is not usually in my vocabulary. We manage to get where we need to get and have what we need to have, but it's not without some fumbling. I am writing everyone's tips down so I can use them in my world. You all impress me so much. I don't know "yet" how you all do it, but I will. I can't shop without a list. I didn't think to write down what I eat BEFORE I eat, I usually write it down after I've eaten. I like that. I also prepare my food separately from my kids food and I sort of resent that. Is that terrible? Very good advice, thanks.
I go Friday for my first class and to get my menu's and protein drinks. I am excited about getting started. I have done very well during the pre-conditioning, or at least I think I have. I don't have any problem drinking the water, but I'm sure for someone who isn't used to it, it's a challenge. You're doing great!!!
Cassie -I am so sorry you had a bad experience yesterday. The counselor could and should have handled it differently. I would ask to speak with a different counselor next time.
kuntreegirl -Like Chickadee, I was tracking my food on an excel spreadsheet. I recently switched to My Fitness Pal because when you go to maintenance, you start counting calories so I figured I better start getting in that mode ahead of time. I did find that even though I wasn't carrying a food journal around with me, I had no problem remembering what I ate when it came time to put it in the computer. Also, I organize my drinks and supplements for the week. I have very well worn baggies that I've been using from the get go. Like I said, this may seem like overkill to some, but it works for me. They contain my HNS for the day, the supplements I take divided into breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a separate pill box for my blood pressure med. I just pick up that days baggie each morning and by the end of the day, if it's empty, yay me! LOL I'm attaching a picture of one as an example. I only have to get my baggies in order once a week and it makes my life much easier.
AmyKaylene - I haven't done shiftwork for years, but, with the timing of meals, I would ignore what the clock says. If you wake up at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, that's when your day begins. I would time my meals from there as if that were 7 or 8 in the morning. As long as you get in all your food, HNS, water, & supplements in before going to sleep, and get enough sleep, you should be ok. Good luck!
camaswa -I agree with you about the bars. They can totally backfire, good as they taste. It will even cause you to become constipated. There's a lovely thought.
Tami - I am sooooo excited for you!!!!! You go, girl!!!! You are going to rock maintenance!!!!
eb102106 -If I remember correctly, it's 4 oz. hot water, mix, and then 4 oz. cold water, then chill.
Had a good visit at the cardiologist yesterday. He took me off my last pregnancy/post-pregnancy blood pressure med. Woohoo!! Back to my one BP pill a day I was on before the pregnancy. He wants me to track my BP for 2 weeks and send in the results. If my body responds well, he'll leave me off it.
Jen, thanks for the picture. I can see how you stay organized. I am still learning all the different supplements and I can't hardly tell the difference between the corti-trim and the phentatrim, so I have to keep them separate. I bought a pill box for the week and I keep a days supply in a separate little box with me all the time just in case. I need to take the advise of you and some of the others here and just make me bag for MRC and have it with me all the time. I am eager to find out about the menus, which one I'll be on, what the drinks are like, and just everything. I don't really feel like I've started the real program yet. The pre-conditioning is good I'm sure, but I am so ready to see some weight loss. To feel like I'm getting my money's worth.
How do you or any of you handle traveling? I have read a few posts about it from the holidays, but I am really nervous about it. My husband and I are taking our boys out of town next weekend and we will be sightseeing and doing something almost every minute of the day. Not sure how I will handle it. We also have scheduled in two fabulous restaurants that we have wanted to go to. Any suggestions? I have to say I know I will want to eat at these particular places. But, it's not the normal for us to go out of town often. I guess I will give myself a break and do the best I can.
I really like all your tips and suggestions. It is giving me so many ideas of how to structure this and make it work in my busy life. Thanks to everyone.
Kuntregirl. Some travel ideas: Keep HNSs in your purse and pour into bottled water. Add a creamy to coffee if you have stopped somewhere like a Starbucks Keep a couple bars FOR EMERGENCiEs only. At the special restaurants, try to have fish and veggies. Beg for a bite of someone else's meal if you really want to experience an item that you know would do damage. Above all. Don't get starved. Extra protein if needed, lots of water. Also don't get exhausted. And don't expect perfection. Have fun!
TL,
When you did take the phentatrim, did you notice a difference in yourself at all? Did you notice you didn't get hungry, or anything? I do know I have more energy, but it's not a nervous energy, I just don't get sleepy in the afternoon like I usually do. Of course that could be from not eating the carbs either. LOL
Sorry it took me so long to respond. We had a bit of a crisis at work, and I'm now taking over a dept chair's responsibilities at a building in addition to my job at the central office...so it's been a little hectic since I went back to work on Monday, lol.
Anyway, I did notice that I wasn't quite as hungry, and I felt it did give me more energy--but like you said, it wasn't nervous energy. It didn't affect my sleeping habits, either, as I was able to go to bed and fall asleep at my usual time with no problems.
I used it more toward the end of my weight loss partially because of my stall on weight loss, but also because I didn't want to be on a bunch of supplements already and then have no "extra" tools available to me when I hit plateaus or stalls. Does that make sense? Basically, I just didn't want to use all my tools in my toolbox from the get-go because I was worried that then I'd have nothing to help when I really hit a rough patch.
Leo, I really like your tips. I work full time and have very active kids. In all sports and church events, so we do spend a lot of evenings away from home. Also, my husband works 2-10 in the evenings, so I am like a single mom. Organization is not usually in my vocabulary. We manage to get where we need to get and have what we need to have, but it's not without some fumbling. I am writing everyone's tips down so I can use them in my world. You all impress me so much. I don't know "yet" how you all do it, but I will. I can't shop without a list. I didn't think to write down what I eat BEFORE I eat, I usually write it down after I've eaten. I like that. I also prepare my food separately from my kids food and I sort of resent that. Is that terrible? Very good advice, thanks.
I go Friday for my first class and to get my menu's and protein drinks. I am excited about getting started. I have done very well during the pre-conditioning, or at least I think I have. I don't have any problem drinking the water, but I'm sure for someone who isn't used to it, it's a challenge. You're doing great!!!
KG,
It's not terrible that you resent having to do "double work" in the kitchen! It's hard to put together a meal for kids who can have ANYTHING they want & at the same time, making a meal for yourself. Last night, my grandson had pizza & I had grilled flank steak & grilled asparagus. I wanted a bite of that pizza SO BAD! LOL! Then, my daughter came home later with chinese food! My willpower was tested, but you know what, I resisted and it FELT GOOD. I just put it in my head that I've been eating all this "good" food for years and while I enjoyed eating it at the time, it just packed on the poundage because of my poor choices. I'm going to sacrifice these next six to nine months and one day, I'll be able to enjoy my favorites again, smarter & healthier.
I also go to Food Class on Friday and am excited to see what plan I'll be placed on and learn more about the diet overall. I've also planned my response for if they try to pressure me into purchasing additional supplements, but my counselor doesn't seem like she's trying to push them. (Then again, I've only met with her twice so far).
I haven't done shiftwork for years, but, with the timing of meals, I would ignore what the clock says. If you wake up at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, that's when your day begins. I would time my meals from there as if that were 7 or 8 in the morning. As long as you get in all your food, HNS, water, & supplements in before going to sleep, and get enough sleep, you should be ok. Good luck!
