Ok nwcgina- you have permission to kick my butt! And the Nordsrom trip was diaappointing- the 12s did fit but I don't look right in the skinnier leg. Upper thighs are too flabby- I have that chicken drumstick look, if yu know what I mean. I didn't buy anything. I felt a little sorry for myself, I admit. I'm thinner but REALLY need firming up. My advice to anyone younger is never stop strength training. Bat wing arms are forever... But now I am on my way to the alterations lady with the 14s, so that should encourage me! March, here we come!

Bigdog...
Thanks for sharing picture of Jen in newspaper.

Jen you are awesme and what a motivation for all on this forum.

Brandy.... When I hit a problem I go back to my green menu, the last one on Meta Slim for a few days or until I get weighed in to see what happened.. I did go 5 pounds under goal to give me a buffer and sure have used it..
When I went to the stabilization/maintenance party last year , there were many that were on maintenance , if they gained went back to the green menu, so don't know why your center would tell you not to.. On stabilization, if i gained, I omitted what I added by substitution and tried it when on maintenance. I still do that now. I am always trying new things, if I gain, off my food list they go for time being.. Did I answer your question?

Want to congratulate all the losers , say hello and welcome to any newbies, and wish you all a great weigh in.

Patzi

Thanks Patzi. I totally trust you over the clinic since you are living it right now. I asked again today and they said to never go backwards but to cut out the starches. It's kind of the same thing.

camaswa-just remember, no one can see the tag with the size on it...they just see how hot you look;) Part of me doesn't want to give up my 14's since they are baggy and show that I'm skinnier...with some of the 12's being snug they may actually make me look bigger. And each pair of pants fits so different...you know that...but it stinks when you think you should be in a certain size (I did that the otherday with a workout top...I thought I should be in a L, (some mediums fit) and in that particular shirt/cut I needed an XL...which they didn't have. Went to a different store...same shirt,different brand, L, probably could have done M). NO ONE CAN SEE THE TAG! (I have to remind myself of that).

You are right! About the size thing...

I just got 5 pairs of dressy pants altered for less than one new pair would cost. One particular pair she took up 4 inches in the waist! She asked if I wanted her to cut off the excess or leave it in case I ever needed them let back out. Can you imagine???I about bit her head off!

OMG, Atlanta? the best restaurants in the world!! we had to evacuate there for a hurricane over 10 years ago and stayed w/ a good friend of ours and he took us to the most incredible restaurants ever. they have everything Thai, Ethopian, Chinese (authenic)... yeah, girl, when you get down South it is an insult to order unsweet tea! everyone still looks at me funny when i do that! and grits w/out Shrimp Gravy around here? unheard of! my DH makes the best Maryland style crabcakes ever w/out any filler and bakes them but if you go anywhere in town, they are like deviled crabs and fried! they fry everything here! i always order a Greek salad w/ bronzed salmon or tuna when i'm out or a petite sirloin w/ salad or veggies and pray they don't have a bread basket (my weakness in restaurants)

i agree Gina, i am more of a pear shape but like the skinnier legs on pants and will get a bigger size and cut out the tags. i went shopping friday and w/ the slim cut pants i wanted couldn't fit in the 12 or even the 14. actually i ended up not buying anything. my 14's are baggy and the 12's are too tight. my jeans w/ spandex though fit great because of the stretch. so i need to find a brand of pants w/ spandex so they will fit but not be too baggy in the waist...hate when i'm in the mood to buy something and nothing is right. looking for fitted jackets and nothing! i'm tired of the maternity looking psycholodylic clothes i see in the store - it's like, really? who looks good in this stuff? wish i could sew like my mom did, then i could create my own tailored outfits... get really jealous when my DH walks in a store and grabs pants and shirts in his normal size and they all fit. why do women's clothes sizes vary so much? if i really like something, i 'll try the larger size and cut out the tag -:-)

can you add club soda to your red wine or maybe that would be nasty? that's the main reason i'm stuck on 170 - w/ all my DH is going thru w/ his family, he wants to eat out more and guess i can drink water but at the Mexican restaurant, there's margaritas....at the restaurant bar we frequent, i get vodka soda (used to be mich ultra) so i'm thinking the tall glass of V-soda is better. i have been drinking water in between cocktails... but i do know it's stalling my wt. loss. and when i'm with his family, i have to have a cocktail or two...just a fact of life. my friend says her consultant told her if she's having a cocktail to eliminate the fruit and bread for the day..... someone told me that vodka was the lowest carb drink that wouldn't show a wt. gain - not sure if that's true. some have said Scotch has the lowest sugar...but i havent' acquired the taste LOL! anyway this is a lifestyle change but i do know realistically i'm not going to give up a couple cocktails a week so either i'm going to have to step up the exercise or drank tons of water to counteract it! :-) i probably should be telling you - have water! have a HNS! anyway, isn't there a drinking women type diet out there??!!!

Good Morning Ladies, Congrats on all the success that you guys have achieved for the week!!!! I still hanging in there, went to WI yesterday and was down 1lb, not happy with it, but i'll take it. I increased my exercise to 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week and on the weekends I do strength training with abs/triceps/biceps alternating for about an hour. I was told to cut back on the exercising during the week and elinminate strength training as this may be stalling my weight loss as I should be losing 3lbs per week. I was totally devastated as I really enjoy exercising now since I am able to do it without being out of breathe after 5 minutes.

Once again congrats to all who have had success this week and even those who struggle but continue on, and welcome to all the Newbies, It works if you work it.

Michelle

1 lb a week is a great loss (as long as you are losing) my 2 cents worth! i would never stop exercising and would rather gain muscle as you are losing weight. wonder if you just didn't exercise a couple days before weigh in if that would make a difference in the scales.? i've lost most of my weight but now need to tighten up and just hope i can do that after losing the weight. it prob. would have been easier to lift wts as i was losing...
i had one counselor tell me to cut back on exercising and wt. lifting and then two others tell me no way - to continue exercising and lifting weights. as you can tell from this board, the answers to our questions are all different depending on what center and what counselor you talk to.
you have to do what is best for you...

Michelle-Here's my experience, take it for what it's worth. You have to be the one that decides what is best for you (like big dog said)...

Before I started MRC I was a big exerciser. 30-60 minutes of hard cardio and or strength training 5-6 days a week...sometimes more. People would say that I should be a stick...but the problem was I was overcompensating with eating too much, so stuck...then I started MRC and I knew it was time to just focus on eating.

The calories on the plan (green) were too little for me to keep up my same exercising. I didn't have the energy. So I did a few weeks of no exercise, then I got to where I could do low energy activities about 3 days a week...pilates, yoga, walking, or light strength. Much more would zap me...or I couldn't even lift up my legs. But I knew it was time for me to focus on eating...and it happened that I was busy and also nursing an injury so it was a good time to cut back.

Got to the point where I had lost about 20 lbs and did some calculations based on my body fat...and I'd lost about 7 lbs of muscle (which lowers metabolic rate). So I decided it was time to add in more activity. When I did I was STARVING. So I told my center I was ready to exercise more and was too hungry. My consultant listened and suggested a different eating plan that is SUPPOSED to slow down loss, but it actually sped up a bit with me because of the increased activity (I'm running 2x per week, intense cardio strength circuit DVD's 2x per week, 1 day of pilates/yoga/core, and then the other 2 days I can rest if my body is hurting-it is today-or do light activity like walking or dancing). I decided AT THIS POINT even if it slowed my loss, it was time to add back in activity and build my muscle back up. But I also know it was totally important for me to step away from the exercise for a time and see that it's what I put in my mouth that is most important. For me, the exercise isn't for weight loss or even looking good (although that helps), it is for my mental health:)

And lesson re-learned this week. Because I had amped up the running and lost more I was a little overconfident and started snitching bites off my kids' plates (justfiying that I was more active...which is why I could never lose in the first place). So the scale creaped up...yes, I'm sure I'm also building muscle/retaining fluid for muscle repair. But I now learned not to snitch (when time comes for maintenance, I can have scheduled treats) and to cycle my exercise program so that I don't have a heavy workout right before a weigh in (especially strength). See my weekly schedule below...it's all a work in progress:

Monday (official weigh-in): Strength/cardio circuit (after weigh in)
Tuesday: Pilates/Yoga/core
Wednesday: Run/walk
Thursday: Strength cardio
Friday: rest or light activity
Saturday: Run/walk
Sunday: rest
(strength days affect my weight the most for about 24-48 hours due to fluid accumulation from repair).

Oh so close to seeing the 150's...had I not had my mishap with sneaking some bites of stuff Mon-Wed I probably would have hit it. Lesson learned. Great strength workout this morning...ready to build the muscle back!

Here's to a great and new week!

Good Morning!
I have a question.
If it takes 3,500 calories to gain 1 lb., how is it that a bite of this or that every once in a while would increase your weight?

Hey!

Great job, guys! Gina - I love your enthusiasm for working out. I do Zumba 4-5 times per week and the elliptical 1 or 2 days... but sometimes I feel the need to switch it up a little.

Leo - You're right about the calories, but one thing about this plan is that it's formulated exactly for how your body works. For example, on my program, I can't have fruit at breakfast or dinner. I think it has to do with the natural sugars produced when eating fruit and at lunch it's needed to keep your blood sugar up to get you through the day.

I too gain weight when I snitch bites... or I maintain. I also think, for me, it's a slippery slope of non-accountability when I sneak bites of my kids' meals (i.e. macaroni and cheese or their ice cream)... it seems to snowball into cravings and things I don't need in order to stay focused... just my two cents.

It's funny that this topic was brought up because that's exactly what happened to me this weekend. I got a few bites of ice cream and mac/cheese and this morning I was up 2 pounds... ugh. Time to hit the water and the excerise to un-do this!

Have a great Monday!

It may not be because of the few bites here or there...could be so many different varieties. Hard to pinpoint...Some of us experience a gain when we have been perfect! Cut yourself some slack :) Just do your best to stay OP, and the ups and downs are going to happen...inevitable. This is a process and there won't always be a consistent drop.

Good morning ladies!

Well, this past week I have had a increase in my appetite...Always the week before my period. So, the challenge of course is making good choices when I want to snack:) Also, adding these foods on Stabilization is great, but the temptation to have a whole banana rather than just a 1/2 of one is hard when you haven't had one in 8 months!! LOL I keep thinking that with oatmeal or cream of wheat or graham crackers, I am allowed "one serving size" according to the box. NOT! Try 1/2 of a serving...so I am messing up sometimes, but that is OK. Now I know!

My counselor introduced "Wasa" crackers to me. Apparently you can now have those in place of your "bread" while OP, rather than the Melba toast..etc..These are yummy. I get the "sesame" kind and very good for a change. But, she is right...it is hard to stop at 2 of them! You can get them at Wal-mart next to the Melba toast.

Well, hang in there all! I feel so much more relaxed now that I am not on a constant mission to lose weight!! I didn't realize just how overwhelming that time was until now. I knew it was hard, and I was always hard on myself, but now it is even more clear. Remember, it took me a while to lose 50lbs because I wasn't in a hurry and because I think I would have given up on the program if I didn't cut myself some slack occasionally. Some do well with sticking to it strictly and lose rapidly...but we are not all the same. In the end 50lbs is 50lbs...how we each get there is individual! Embrace YOUR journey and be OK with it being different than others...No comparing yourself..it doesn't motivate:)

I like that, Tami - embrace your journey. Very motivating! I also wondered about the Wasa crackers... will be a nice change!

Big Dog...
When I hit maintenance and was allowed wine, I had the bar or restaurant give me a large glass and tell them to put the wine serving in the glass with club soda, ice and lemon slices... It is my version of a wine cooler.. It is good. I can make two glasses of wine last a lot longer...

Patzi

Rachels77 - Thanks for the response! I think we may be on the same plan - fruit at lunch only. Somehow, I'm not convinced that A BITE or 2 of something off-plan will make you gain a whole pound! I think it's absolutely true though about once you start sneaking a bite here & there, it's hard to stop - THAT accumulates if you don't fight the urge. The other night, I had a handful of caramel popcorn w/nuts (sure was good!) and I found myself wanting more and more and more! CARBS ARE THE DEVIL! :D

Tamikl,
As we say in church - Amen & Amen! Embrace YOUR journey! Don't compare yourself to others as we are all different. I also agree with cutting yourself some slack SOMETIMES - speaking of which........on Superbowl Sunday, I'm having family over to watch the game. I'm going to allow myself SOME treats. It does help that everyone coming to the party knows I'm embarking on this "lifestyle change" and two of my biggest supporters (my daughter & cousin) will be there to keep me "in check."

Leo-a couple reasons why a few bites can show up on the scale...one is if they have a lot of sodium (water retention). The other reason is most MRC plans while not as low carb as Atkins, they are quite a bit lower in carbohydrate so your body doesn't store as much as glycogen (which is why some people like me don't have the physical energy to engage in heavy exercise while on the plan). When your body stores glycogen it has a high affinity to water, so you get a little more water weight that way. So the bites of cheeseits and cookies I had last week that caused the scale to go up...mainly water weight from my body saying "hey, here's some carbs, let's store them as glycogen..." which is totally a good thing when wanting to exercise, but demotivating on the scale. That is why when someone starts eating fewer carbs they see a rapid drop...depletion of glycogen and the water that goes with it.

And the other thing for me...one bite leads to 10. 1 cookie leads to a dozen. That's an emotional/spiritual issue I need to work through for maintenance. It's why I've never been able to lose in the past despite eating healthy most of the time and exercising like crazy. Undoing my healthy choices by a few bad choices that led to more bad choices.

I'm a newbie! Have truly enjoyed reading all of the comments and suggestions. Trying to get to sign the 20 lb. lost board this week.

Hey, Ladies! I am back...full time! Woohoo!!!

All the audits here at work are over for now, with none on the horizon. It didn't help whatsoever with my weight loss efforts. I faced the music today and got my butt back to the center. For the past two weeks, I've had an auditor attached to the hip. We ate out every day. My husband was on day care duty because of early starts and/or late nights. The pantry was bare since there was no time to get groceries, so that equaled a lot of eating out at night too. When the audit ended Friday, I felt like this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but it landed on my butt. To the tune of 4.5 pounds. :(

Now, I have to get the weight back off and finish this phase of my journey. It's past time!

While I knew the ad was running in our area, I didn't know it was being taken national and neither did my center. LOL We got a great laugh. It's kinda fun, but also now I feel the pressure to live up to the ad and get these last few pounds off. I know I can do it and now, I have no reason not to.

I got my check today from the center for winning the contest. That was an awesome moment. I thought long and hard what I wanted to do with that check. I finally decided. I'm going back to a professional running store here in town and getting fitted for running shoes. The last time I did that was about 10 years ago. There's a 15K coming up and I want to run it again. I've run it 5 times in my life and DANG IT, I'm going to do it again! I haven't run it since I got married and then pregnant and I need to prove to myself I can do this! I won't be the fastest by any means, but I will finish it.

Since the ad was posted (thanks, BigDog), I thought I'd post the whole testimonial that I wrote since they only gave you a few lines of it. :)

Who says you can’t lose weight after having a baby?! Well, somewhere along the way, I got it in my head that once I got pregnant I would never see my old self again. I heard my other mom friends say that. Kiss your old body goodbye. Everywhere I turned, I was told I was doomed to a life of being overweight because I was a mom now. There would be no time to eat right or exercise. There would be no time for myself. I was a mom. If being overweight wasn’t bad enough, I was only 38 and on 11 blood pressure pills a day due to severe preeclampsia during the pregnancy. Suffice it to say, it was a depressing road to be on.

A little over a year after having my daughter, I was walking through the mall and had to stop and sit on a bench to catch my breath. I realized I didn’t want to live this way anymore. Something inside me finally said I wasn’t going to just give up on myself. Not only that, I wanted to set a good example for my daughter. I needed to learn how to eat right. I needed to learn what a normal portion size was. I needed to learn how to take the weight off sensibly so I could keep it off. I needed to learn good eating habits so I could teach her so she didn’t have the same issues I had. I was NOT going to just resign myself to being overweight. Enough was enough.

In February 2011, I walked into Metabolic Research Center and got my life back on track! Thanks to the incredible support of all the counselors at my branch, I am in better shape that I was when I got pregnant! I not only lost all the baby weight, I weigh less now than I did the day I got married. I’ve had to have my wedding rings re-sized down…twice. I’ve also went from having to take eleven blood pressure pills a day to one. It hasn’t always been an easy road, but I wouldn’t change a moment of it because I’ve learned from the ups and downs. I’m about to turn 40 and am in better shape than when I turned 30. It’s so exciting to know I’ll be going into the new year at my goal weight instead of making a resolution to lose weight.

The biggest lesson I learned is how much more of a mental game than a physical game losing weight is. The mind is a powerful thing, but if I ever had issues, I knew I could go in to my local MRC or pick up the phone and my counselors would be there for me. I couldn’t have done this without them and I’m eternally grateful.

If you’re a mom that needs to lose weight, I encourage you to take that first step and walk into your local Metabolic Research Center. It won’t always be an easy journey, but it will be worth it in the end.

I am slapping you a cyber high-five, girl! You speak the truth!
I know exactly what you're saying! As I mentioned before, I had a handful of caramel popcorn over the weekend, and after it was all said & done, I probably had at least 4 more over the course of the weekend. ****, I wanted to eat the ENTIRE tin! What helps me with my willpower is that mentally I actively think, "I'll be able to have these things again in 6 months or so" but hopefully in 6 months, I won't even want them - aw ****, who am I fooling - I'm going to have my "treats" - just not so often & not so much!

Hey Everyone,
So I was eating takeout chinese food this weekend (panda express catered for my daughter's birthday)....woops. I ate two large plates over the weekend, and was up half a pound. Probably because of all the sodium/water retention. I was bummed, but I knew I could have done better. I'll try to be perfect tomorrow and the next day and see if I can get down again.

i'm really a mich ultra beer drinker and love beer but since this diet had to switch to something i could A. nurse and B. add lots of club soda and ice to! i go to alot of art openings and they always have wine so used to drink red wine... i've found that w/ vodka, i'm not showing a weight gain and actually the lemonade HNS mixes well w/ it too! i do drink less and will drink also water w/ lemon or just club soda after one or two drinks. always make them give me a tall glass and i've been pouring the ice water in the glass to stretch it out. when we go to a party, i'll take a couple mini bottles w/ me and usually take a bottle of club soda or diet tonic water w/ me too as back up if the hostess doesn't have that available.

the main thing is planning ahead and being prepared. where i'll head to disaster if i don't have the right foods in the house and end up eating off plan. w/ all this stuff going on w/ the inlaws, the other day i bought groceries at Walgreens! eggs, cheese but they didnt have light bread so i got cinnamon raisin bagels. wrong choice but i figured out that 1/4 of the bagel was 40 cal.! so eat that in the am. it's like i'm programmed now! and refuse to eat even half of that dang bagel! if i get a sandwich on the road, i pick the meat out - 4 oz., no more! and get extra veggies to get the 8 oz in.
my DH wanted rice the other night so i put the extra in the dog food - it was not going in my mouth! CARBS are the devil :devil: (quote from Leo) LOL!

Hey Ladies,

You may have already heard about this, but I came across it on my playlist this weekend and I thought about you all. It's call Skinny Songs. You can find it on iTunes or visit skinnysongs dot com. They are funny, catchy songs that can help you stay motivated. You can listen to them while you exercise and work out. Hope you enjoy!

Mornin' all!
Bigdog, I think I'll put that quote in my signature line - "Carbs are the devil!" :devil: :D

I also LOVE red wine (especially "blends") & vodka - vodka not so much any more, but it is interesting that the vodka is the lesser of the two evils when it comes to weight loss/management. Interestingly enough, a former co-worker drank vodka tonics like they were going out of style & she was almost as thin as a rail! I haven't had a cocktail since 1/2/12, and I do miss my occasional glass of red during the weekend. When the family went out to eat last week, they were all drinking yummy margaritas & mojitos. I whipped out my "sparkling" water w/fresh lime, poured it in a goblet & was actually satisfied. It was pretty dry, so it was (sorta) a substitute for the dry reds that I like. :D

Do you all ever feel like your brain and your body are two separate entities that have very little to do with each other? This whole dieting thing is surreal sometimes! The last two weeks I've been on fire loss-wise (oh yeah, that's a good thing!). The weird thing is that I haven't done anything differently - just following my plan the best I can. It's kinda like my brain said "oh yeah, I get it" and told my body to drop some poundage. I wish it would always go this well!

Someone needs to remind me about this post when the pounds are coming off slowly again.

Have a great day everyone!
Chickadee

Hi...
I had maintenance weigh in today and lost 1 pound, bringing me to6 pounds under goal.. I went back on green menu to lose the weight I had gained , and one day on shakes, and it worked.

They told me my body fat is great as is my BMI, so I am happy with today's weigh in.

Wishing you all a great weigh in

Patzi

That's great, Patzi! You are living proof that it can be done! :)

Skinny tunes, i like that! lots of good information on these boards that are keeping me motivated. way to go Patzi - you have proved to all of us it's a lifestyle change if we want to keep this weight off for good. Jen B, your ad is on my bulletin board in my home office and thks for sharing the whole story- very cool and inspiring. Leo- you originated the Carbs Are the Devil :devil: i love it! i never in a zillion years thought i could cut out carbs but when i saw the numbers going down on the scale knew it was worth it. i do adore my cinnamon light wheat toast every am and my spicy pepper melba toast w/ my dinner salad and lean protein but i don't have the urge to eat 1/2 a box of crackers like i used to. i just hope my DH never brings Cheez doodles in the house though - they would be hard to resist!!! love those dang things!

it's a medi quick kind of day - had a Wonderslim dark chocolate protein shake for b-fast mixed w/ ice and left over coffee - yum!! for lunch, mixed my protidiet pink lemonade w/ frozen strawberries - like a rich strawberry ice cream shake. planning on 3 more HNSs and a regular dinner. love my GE single blender (my best buddy w/ this MRC plan) and i always drink my protein drinks w/ a straw...my DH asked me the reason and i told him because in my mind, it's a delicious shake! he says, well there you go then..LOL!

have a great week everyone !

just added to sig! good idea. i also like red wine, the drier the better...merlots usually. but my DH says wine makes me evil! haha! maybe because my GFs and i will go to wine tastings or art openings where the wine is flowing freely so we pretty much over indulge and then will park ourselves at the restaurant where he works and get all silly. was sitting beside Evil Knievel's brother Rob one time in a bar after a wine event talking up a storm and viewing his many tattoos - my DH was like, ok let's go - i was like, i'll check you later. haha, needless to say, i really needed to go home!!! i saw at Applebees the other day that they have the Skinny margarita for 100 cal. vs. the 500 cal! pretty good. when i do margaritas on vacation, i mix the sugar free margarita mix and my lemonade HNS w 1/2 the tequila - shake it in my blender bottle. i did that on my vacation last summer and ended up losing 2 lbs! i packed my scales in the camper and weighed every am to keep on track. i had a couple margaritas a day. now i did walk the beach alot, we biked and walked also through the campground and boogie boarded so did step up the activity...had cases of water handy too. when we ate out, i cut way back on the portions if i was having off plan foods.

HI everyone. I'm back at it again. I've been back OP for about 2 1/2 weeks now, minus a day here and there, and am down 7lbs. For some reason it's just clicking for me right now. Of course, that's everything I gained over Christmas, so I'm sure it will start to get harder. Only a couple more lbs to get back to my ticker and then the real work starts, I guess. Sounds like everyone is having a pretty successful new year. I'm glad to hear it!

LOL That makes me smile. You're doing better than me. ;) I haven't posted it anywhere. My mom posted it on her fridge, but that's the extent of it. I guess I should post it in our home gym as motivation.

I felt so good today--had a catered recognition lunch today--I stayed away fromthe hot rolls, mashed potatoes, and chocolate cupcakes with little effort. It felt so good to be in control and resist. It will feel even better next time on the scale. I love saying "carbs are the devil" so true

fatburningmama..

If you are in control you can only go one place and that is maintenance, it is simple as that.. Good for you.. Be proud of yourself, you did it.. It is a choice that was a good one..

Hope the scale is favorable.

Patzi

thanks, Patzi. It's was only one event but it was a start the right way. I was tellling someone after the lunch, that one of the best things that I love about this program is the fact that I no longer feel that "bloated, stuffed like a Thanksgiving Turkey" feeling after eating now. I don't think i realized truly how much food was on my plates whether it was for the first or the seconds helping. And I certainly hadn't realized in a number of years how much I truly don't mind drinking water.
I enjoy reading everyone's advice here -- I am off to shop on dietdirect and see what "goodies" I can find.

I went to WI yesterday during lunch and signed the 50 pound board. I have lost a total of 51 pounds since I start this change. I have a found new motivation from this and will power through to meet my goal by the end of March. The goal at the center is 185 but I would like to be around 180. We will see what happens when I get closer to March 30th.

Congratulation all you losers out there. Way to go ladies.

Way to go, Y!!!! That is so amazing. 50 lbs!! 51!!!

That 160 is still staring at me:) But I'd rather have a couple days here and then when I see 159 never see 160 again. I'm feeling great. I am getting tons of compliments, yet I'm also telling myself that at some point those compliments will stop and I have to be motivated to do this for me and my health and not the compliments. Already thinking through strategies I'll need for maintenance. Been reading a great book "Made to Crave" which is helping me a ton on the emotional/spiritual side of my food issues and spending a lot of time journaling...it was good to start the physical process of the MRC eating plan first and see success, and now to deal with the issues that got me here in the first place.