Does anyone use a handwritten journal book for their food journal? If so whet brand? Where do u purchase it..?

I made my own spreadsheet so I can fax it in, but when I'm on maintenance I'm going to use a "fitbook" to track my food and exercise...you can get them at target.

Weighed in this am after my free for all dessert and beer festival last sat to Monday and lost almost all the water weight. Have two more pounds to go! But I'll take care of that continuing to drink extra water, 4 HNSs a day and giant salads w lean protein. Oh I did forget to mention the Mich Ultra I was indulging in. I was with family and sorry to say but beer makes me happy and my 89 year old sweet dad wanted some "home brew" so how could I not have a couple with him? Lol

Camaswa. I did want to mention that I do not order the bariwise or protidiet protein bars any more. They are too good. I've been getting the Nutrisystem bars 18 g protein (at Big Lots). They are kind of chalky and not as tempting Keep in frig cut in quarters in sandwich bags so they are hard and not as chewy gooey and inviting like they would be otherwise. When I grab one in my mind that is a serving. So later in the day if I grab another quarter then it's actually half a bar

Kind of like I cannot have a gallon of ice cream in the freezer I would think about it all day! And eat it all day but individual sugar free fudge cicles will limit me to one a day (wonder if they have protein fudge cicles.)

I got one of these too, they are great!

Patzi - you are such an inspiration. I LOVE reading your posts and hearing your advice... it is so very helpful. I agree with everyone else that that woman was just being rude. Any mature adult would realize that sometimes, asking advice means that you won't always like what you hear. That's just part of it... owning what you eat and moving on.

I admire your drive and your attitude. I think MOST people on the weight loss journey would LOVE to hear what you have done so they can improve themselves. Asking for help is not an indication of weakness... we're all human and we mess up... it's an indication of want to do better, you know? Anyway, sorry I'm late on my response...crazy time at work...

I'm baaacckkk!
 

Okay, this week has been the worst week for me, stress-wise and work-wise, since I stared MRC in August. The internet at work was down and I was the only one to fix it... had to work from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. every night since Thursday... and one night... I just "had it".

I know this was a totally emotional response but on Tuesday night I drove to the nearest Taco Bell and at 1/2 of a 7 layer burrito... then drove to Sonic and had some sweet potato tots... thinking the whole time "I shouldn't be doing this..." I HATE how out-of-control I felt and that I let the stress get the best of me. And now, my WI at home yields a 2 1/2 pound gain! Yikes! Soooo not worth it, guys.

But, I got back on the wagon on Wednesday and have tried to stay on for the past few days... hopefully it will come off. But the added stress (which usually causes me to gain) along with the lack of sleep (another trigger) and TOM (going on 14 days now) combined horribly for me. I know it's not a valid excuse, but "it is what it is".

I'm just really sick with myself for what I did. And, I'm TERRIFIED of regaining the weight, but on the flip side I have dwelled on it so much that I think I need to move on and that the dwelling may be a good sign that I won't allow the behavior to continue, you know?

What do you guys think?

rachels77,

You definitely have the right attitude - slipped up, but got back on track.

I know I have to watch the cycle that sometimes gets me if I beat myself up too much. Slip up, then depressed about slipping up so driven to emotional eating, get back on track and then even more devastated if I slip up again....

You got this!

Caloric vs ketogenic
 

I would love to hear others' understanding of this concept. My counselor just told me that when you eat on and off program multiple times you cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat. And when you do that, your metabolism slows, so maintenance is ultimatey harder. Thus yo yo dieting is born.

At 165, I thought I was about at goal, but my bodyfat is 39#, which is not good. She said I should get below 30, which would have me at about 145. I don't know why this was never established when my goal was originally set, and she said it should have been.

This has me really rattled. I was thinking I was almost there and just needed to keep exercising to firm up. Now I think I need to really refocus on the program. But that is feeling depressing to me. I think I need to really understand the physiology better (help, Gina! We talked about this before, apparently I didn't quite get it). I didn't really get that going on and off program was slowing FAT loss and causing muscle loss.

What do others know about this?

I know that when I went in and they asked me what I wanted to to weigh, I told them 150, they said that with my muscle mass and bone structure my ideal weight should be between 154 and 182. I am honestly not sure why they did not go over that with you, or if you lost alot of muscles on the plan. We try (try being the key part here) to hit the gym for half an hour 3 times a week. The only time they have popped me back on the scale and run a current through me the said I have not lost any muscle mass.

I don't understand how getting on and off program too much switches you to burning mucle instead of fat. That does not make any sense to me if you are still taking your protien drinks to help preserve the muscle. If I was in your situation I would probably also just be going to the gym to tone up. Sorry i do not have better advice, but what you said just does not make alot of sense to me.

I guess the real question is how do you feel? How are your clothes fitting? Do you feel like you need to lose more or just try to build more muscle? Not to be rude, but it is your body, and some of us just have areas that are going to retain alot of fat (boobs, brain, etc) Although I think your center probably has your best intrest at heart, i also think you should consider your own feelings on the matter.

rachels77... In answer to the following..

I'm just really sick with myself for what I did. And, I'm TERRIFIED of regaining the weight, but on the flip side I have dwelled on it so much that I think I need to move on and that the dwelling may be a good sign that I won't allow the behavior to continue, you know?

What do you guys think?

I say do not be terrified, it is over with, hope you enjoyed it and go on. I really believe setback can be success if one learns from it, it really can, and this is not failure, let us call it a moment due to circumstances. Don't beat yourself up. Just start focusing as to what you can do to get back on program and you will be fine.. When you have a setback, shake it off and move on..Remember you are in charge here. Enjoy the weekend without any regrets..

Camaswa... I was told same about going on and off program. Only thing I can say is that the people that I know at center that went on and off program on a regular basis, are having a heck of a time with maintenance. I think they have not conditioned their mind differently with the diet and they have not focused on portions. One has to want to lose weight and do it right this time, and some have not made it there. Consultant told me a cheat here and there can be corrected , but to do on a regular basis is not good... I really don't know what else to say about this.

I have always journaled and also journal today in a small 4x6 spiral book I keep in my pocketbook.. I never have counted calories, when I hit maintenance and that does not mean that is right but it works for me, but I can become sloppy if I do not journal, and it has helped me find what I eat that is a problem for me.



Patzi

I have a question of the Syntrax whey powder, like chocolate truffle, fuzzy navel, etc..

What is this replacing in the MRC diet? I bought the variety pack, and it says 1/4 cup is 7 grams of protein. The creamy is one package = 15 grams of protein.. Would you take 1/2 cup = close to one creamy?

Chocolate truffle in my iced coffee is delightful...

Thanks
Patzi

I count it as a clear since it has no carbs, no fat and no sugar. If you measure out little less than 3/4 scoop which is 70 cal. And approx 17 g protein the Same as clear HNSs which are 70 cal and 15 g protein.
one full scoop is 23 g protein and 100 cal. The main difference is no carbs so wouldn't be a creamy

Works for me!! Has anyone tried the chocolate latte flavor? Rocky is the one that told us about it.......where is she by the way.?

Camaswa. I think they are measuring your fat percentage wrong. That makes no sense. I know when I asked for a copy of my tape that had my fat percentage on it. They had my height wrong??? And had my goal weight at 145 which has never been my goal ever. I love the MRC plan but never believed in their supplements, saliva test and some of the other bs. Sorry but you are doing so good and I don't want you to be discouraged. You wear a size ten now and have a personal trainer, exercise all the time and make great choices daily. AND you threw away not one but two really good boxes of chocolate. That still blows my mind! So tell them to get their sh@@ straight and start praising and encouraging you!!! Their way of measuring fat has to be off. ;)

Thanks Big Dog..Appreciate the info.

Patzi

Meant to say I measure so it's equal to calories of the clear HNS. If its more protein that's even better. I really don't care for meat too much so the more protein I can get in the better. I could live on Greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, protein shakes and bars! Love seafood but get tired of chicken really fast unless it's very spicy or Asian style. Every time my Chef DH cooks it's steak and salad. Or salmon which I don't care for unless it's Asian lacquered! Sometimes I'd much rather have my chocolate strawberry shake! Or Greek yogurt with berries

Hey. Happy St Paddys Day. May the luck of the Irish be with us all! All of my girlfriends are in Savannah today drinking green beer!

P.s. officially at 166 again after my crazy weekend. The extra water really helped and I hope I do not run into any of those girl scouts with their Devil cookies. Haha

WI yesterday saw a loss of half lb. - better than gaining! Counselor put me on Meta-Balance after she reviewed my log - running 4xs a week and increasing mileage preparing for 10K. Also, strength training 2xs a week, yogalates 2xs a week and now starting to swim 2xs a week. I would appreciate any suggestions from those of you on Meta-Balance. Have a great weekend.:jig:

camaswa-Whether you do a "ketogenic" diet or are losing due to calories, you are going to lose some muscle mass, plain and simple. That's how are bodies work. Unless someone does HEAVY weight training (and I mean heavy) you are going to lose some muscle whether your calorie loss came from eating only 800 calories of cheetos or 800 calories of veggies and chicken (although one woudl leave you with a huge malnutrition issue). I've tracked mine myself as I've went along and even with exercise, I've lost muscle. What I initially calculated at my ideal weight for 25% body fat would have been 161, but I'm in the low 150's and right around 30% body fat because of the loss of muscle. I have 2 choices (so do you) to get to the body fat percentage I want...maintain my current weight with healthy eating and change my body compostion through aerobic exercise and strength training or try to lose more weight (which will involve more muscle mass loss) to get to the body fat % I want. I knew intially I just needed to lose some weight even at the expense of muscle. Now I'm at the point the rest needs to be maintaining my weight but adding more exercise to change my body composition. That is my summer goal. It's not going to happen quick like the weight loss did, it will take longer. BUT the huge benefit is that I will look better and as you build muscle you just automatically burn more calories (not to mention burning more calories just from exercise...but don't get the idea it equals a big mac...it's mroe like a banana or chocolate milk treat).

Going "off plan" frequently and then regaining the weight is more of a behavioral issue...if the off plan times were planned and carried out as planned, you are most likely going to carry on being able to PLAN in treats but maintain a healthy eatig plan. But if the off plan times were in response to stress, social situations, or feelings of out of control eating or habit and you haven't sufficiently addressed those issues, then weight regain is more likely (and the bad part is when you regain, the muscle you lost doesnt' come back without exercise, so you are burning fewer calories and look heavier).

On another interesting (although slightly depressing) weight maintenance issue...I've been looking at a lot of the recent research. ONe of the things they've noticed is that in people that have lost weight, no matter how they lost it, the hormones that influence hunger and appetite remain elevated even a year past the weight loss has stopped...and EVEN IF the person regains weight, the appetite is elevated (which is why people often gain weigt back and then some). What this means for me and maintenance, a lifelong eating PLAN is the only way I'm going to maintain. I can't go back to letting my hunger guide me...it will lie to me (especially as an emotional eater). I have to know what calorie range my body will maintain my exercise level and weight and plan my daily eating according to that.

The professor has left the building (but feel free to ask questions).
***********************
lovestofishandrun-With all that exercise you definitely need to be on metabalance. I love it. With your exercise level you may still have days (usually after a long run day) that you are fatigued due to low calories. Be sure to talk to your center. My counselor was great at helping me come up with ideas for timing my snacks/meals around my exercise. Also, you can have a bar for one of your snacks everyday, but I found if I had one everyday I was losing less or stopping loss. I started doing a bar only on heavy exercise days (or half a bar for the "HNS" for one of my snacks plus the given other item). I lost my last 15 on metabalance. It was slower but my mood and exercise thanked me:)

Gina- got it! Thank you. The counselor swore if I didn't go off plan at all, I would not lose any muscle. She said i would lose 3 pounds a week and all would be fat. Its true I have been dabbling around with eating a little extra this and extra that, but frankly, I never lost 3 pounds per week even at the beginning when I stayed 100 percent on plan. I have never quite trusted that they know much or that the left hand knows what the right is doing. One counselor got me started on stabilization six pounds before my goal, and this other one is now telling me i should have had a much lower goal all along.

But I do agree that 39% bodyfat is too high. And I already am doing some strength training, but not as much cardio as maybe i should. Tomorrow I am leaving for a 4 day business trip, during which time I am going to stay on plan as best i can, and during my downtime I am going to try to decide what I really want to do next. Like maybe commit to 30 more days and refocus like in the beginning, see where that takes my bodyfat, and at the same time, commit to exercise more. That's where I am leaning now. Im just tired of going to the center- its a long drive, the obligation of fitting that in to my schedule makes me feel anxious and I dont feel all that confident in their guidance. On the other hand, i dont want to give up, either. Right now, I am going to stop thinking about it. Its snowing here and i have to pack a bag for 80 degree weather - I have no idea what to pack!

MRC isn't the only plan that says if you follow their plan exactly you won't lose any muscle, most say that. And without serious strength training it is physiologically impossible no matter what you eat. Now a low protein high carb diet plan that leads to weight loss, you may lose more muscle because your body can only use protein to rebuild muscle and can't make protein from any other source. So if you don't take in enough protein, you will get more muscle wasting than if you have a diet that is high in protein (plus the higher protein diets lead to greater satiety and less blood sugar spikes which can decrease cravings...so I've found it to be very successful for me, but it's not magic).

**************
I had a girls weekend away to a mom's convention, which meant lots of eating out. I actually did okay. Did a veggie burrito thing one night and didn't eat much of the shell, got a smart one egg sandwich to make for breakfast in the hotel (I wans't on top of things enough to make something and take it with me), took off the bun of my sandwich and stashed the chips and cookies in my bag for DH, and the last meal out was italian. And not a good italian that had fish or chicken choices...just pasta and big bread bowls:( So I had a little bread and ordered chili. Who orders chili at an Italian restaurant? It was the best choice on the menu and while it wasn't great, it kept me on track.

I start my last week of stabilization this week. Then on to maintenance. I don't know how different my maintenance will look from the last week of stabilization, but for the most part I've felt really satisfied on my stabilization plan...and with the super nice weather I've gotten in a lot of extra exercise. I can easily can an hour of biking, running, or walking on days like this. DD is 5 and today wanted to try riding her bike to her school so she can do it on school days (with me along of course). So I jogged by her while the rode...then she wanted to ride more. So we went a total of 3 miles. I call her my new running buddy.

Happy Monday! Had a rather stressful weekend, but didn't let it derail me. The munchkin's allergies are in full effect and with it her "terrible 2's" come out. Cough, major runny nose, and drama, drama, drama. At one point, I looked at my husband and said, "Why am I arguing with a 2 year old?!" Wore me out! The one thing I did have control over was my eating. So, whereas in the past I would use it as an excuse to say, "The heck with it", I didn't this time. It would have been so easy to. I'm 2 pounds from goal and I really, really, really, really, really would love to get there. :goodscale

Camaswa, Gina, and Jen -

You guys are so inspirational! I love how you handle eating and excerise... and emotional eating. Such a great way to view things.

I'm still working on it. I think I've come to realize this week that my eating will always be an issue, a struggle... but if I go into it with my "eyes wide open" and know my weaknesses, I can address them before it's too late, you know? I know that I'm a stress eater, and I have "oh forget it" moments and I should prepare to avoid them or at least replace them with something healthier... an activity, a blog or journal, or something.

This weekend went much better. I'm also realizing how GREAT I feel without the added weight. I actually did housework AND played a TON with my kids and they LOVED it. I never realized how much they enjoy having an active mommy until this weekend, and that made all the difference....

I had kind of an off weekend. At weigh in on Friday i gained a pound, dispite being crazy strict the week before and not allowing any deviation from plan. They said it was probably water weight, I had hit a pleateau but it was a good sign.

Good sign or not, I went off plan on Saturday and made a reuben sandwich, which is just a st. patricks day tradition with my husband. Of course, we stuck to plan with everything else, 1 slice of 45 cal bread, 1/2 oz swiss, walden farms thousand Island dressing, and 4 oz sourkraut. We just used 4 oz of corned beef (all fat trimmed off) instead of chicken or turkey. I know I should feel really bad about going off (I also ate 2 hershies kisses), and I know the plateaus are normal. But I just can't bring myself to feel bad about it. I got back on track the next day and hopefully this stupid stall out in weight loss will go away soon.

Question about baked oatmeal recipe. Is that quick cooking or old fashioned oatmeal? THANKS

Well, I'm bummed. :( WI at lunch and stayed the same. My counselor wasn't worried at all and said it was probably due to losing 2.5 pounds last Thursday. Given that I have so little to lose, it's just harder now. Here's hoping for something on Thursday.

Happy St. Patty's day all! :luck2you: I got to sign the 20 lb board last Friday. Today, the first person outside of my immediately family noticed I have lost weight. She told me I looked great! This was a tremendous boost because I "behaved myself" and didn't use the holiday weekend as an excuse to overindulge. :cupgold:

ARGH!!

For 3 weeks I have been. I have been crazy good (ok, except for Saturday, and that was mostly on program). I have not cheated, I have not allowed myself any sugar, I have seen other people in my office (someone was passing out free homemade cookies today) eating all this stuff I want. I want sugar!

The very idea of going home and eating another piece of chicken or turkey, or even steak, just makes me nauseous. I can't choke down any more veggies, raw or cooked. I don't want to eat much of anything, but I would rip someone's arm off and beat them with it for a slice of cake.

This can't be normal. They said these cravings would go away after the first week. And to be honest even though I want cake, the idea of any food makes me feel kind of ill. Nothing sounds even remotely edible. Ok, I would probably not turn down a pepperoni pizza with black olives, but even that (although my mouth would like it) makes me queezy just thinking about it.

I got back my hormone results and they said I am estrogen dominate, which is funny, becuase I have to take birth control due to my testosterone levels being too high becuase of the PCOS. They wanted me to take all this stuff (most of which I could get for free through my husband's company, thank you love). But, I am tired of taking a handfull of pills every morning. I just want a day off.

Does anyone else have these? Does anyone just take a day and say "nope, I need a break", how much has this affected your loss? I know that if you start and stop and cheat it slows it down. But I just want 1 meal and desert.

I can go home and choke down more chicken and broclii, but I am just curious if this is normal or and i just a raving psychotic who's body is evil.

You are not evil....you are human:). We have all struggled in this weightless journey. It is a Marathon....not a foot race. This process is different for everyone...not right or wrong. The state of one's emotionally health and overall attitude while losing weight is so critical to the success of it. If your weightless efforts are slower as you work through various struggles, then so be it. Not addressing feelings could prevent you from keepi g your weight off.
When I read your post, I relate to those feelings...noone will tell u that this journey is easy...because it is anything but that! But it is worth the effort...you are worth the effort...and when u truly believe that, it will get easier:). Hang in there. Evaluate your motivation for doing this program. The choice is yours. This isn't a prison sentence...it is an opportunity:). Sometimes just seeing it from a different perspective makes a huge difference.

It is old fashioned oatmeal. Just made some Sunday, with apples, and frozen cranberries.. Came out great. I used pumpkin pie spice for seasoning.

Patzi

Jen...
Those last few pounds did a job on me.. I guess you forgot all the whining I did..LOL.. I did not gain, but it was sooooo slow coming off, but it will, I promise.. I know the feeling. For me it was the last 5 pounds.

Patzi

I agree with Tami that you are human. For me I had days I had to literally ask myself...can you eat right for just ONE MORE meal. Just one more. And I would. And then another. And then another. I kept switching up my veggies and meats and being creative which helped. I learned which veggies I liked and refused to choke down any I didn't. I made a list of protein dishes I liked from each protein group and tried to keep rotating them so it wasn't always bland chicken and broccoli (I actually ate that very seldom after the first few weeks). And now I am in a sort of routine for noon...3 days (MWF) is a chicken spinach strawberry salad, T & Th is "pumpkin pie" MRC style (made with spagetti squash and ricotta, I leave out the melba "crust"). Having "pie" two times a week as my lunch is awesome I have my lists for evening meals. Did I ever want to eat my own hand off? Yes. Go completely nuts and eat from liek 5 different drive thrus? Yes. Did I? No. And the end was worth it. My inspiration was a friend that lost 100+ lbs in a year on MRC and only went off for her brother's wedding...other than that, packed her own meals, etc. Don't feel guilty for how you feel. It's a term called "hangry"...you are upset about feeling like you are trapped into eating healthy. Just was listening to it on one of the fitness podcasts I listen to.

Galadreal -

"I don't want to eat much of anything, but I would rip someone's arm off and beat them with it for a slice of cake."

I laughed out loud and woke my DH up!!!!! :-) i know how you feel, i'm so tired of salads...my DH made dinner last night and it was flank steak and salad again! i had a huge salad for lunch and then dinner and lunch today and dinner! i almost feel asleep chewing on that dang salad tonight...felt like a rabbit! :bunny2: guess i'm firming up my jaws w/ all that chewing... you have to get the Syntrax Chocolate Truffle protein powder if you are craving dessert! seriously it's the only reason i have stuck to this plan! and get a GE Single blender ! i feel like i have dessert each and every day when i mix the powder w/ water and ice and blend it up! add frozen strawberries and it's exactly like a chocolate strawberry shake. add a little left over coffee...mocha shake. i ordered the variety pack of Syntrax Saturday and looking forward to trying new flavors. i needed to add some variety so got some turkey bacon to "fry" up in PAM to put on my salad and eat with my scrambled egg in the am. if you like the Greek yogurt, that's a great dessert mixed with berries...i add a dollop of lite cool whip (20 cal.)

it is in the 80s here so threw on my shorts this weekend - couldn't get into hardly anything last summer and this year, they are practically falling off! can't wait to try on last year's summer clothes and see what i can wear now. that's what motivates me the most on keeping this weight off is fitting into my clothes. my summer jackets from last year button up now and are loose - i am so glad i didn't give alot of that stuff away - i was at a point last year where i never thought i'd lose weight again after trying Weight Watchers and other plans. my DH is rebeling though and not as much support as he used to be...there is junk food all over the house but i will be strong.....no one is making me eat that stuff - it's my own decision and ladies, repeat after me. Carbs are the dang devil! :devil: (i'm still looking for those :devil: stickers i can put on his oreos, pretzels, chips, popcorn.... :)

I won't lie, I broke...I started crying on my husband when he talked about making a salad for dinner. We ordered a pizza. Which, going off program for 1 meal once a month does not make me feel bad. It did at the time, I felt like a huge failure. But this morning I don't, I feel like I got a break from salad, I actually do not feel trapped by only eating from this small list, and I am ready to go back to it, Besides, maybe this will shock my system enough to break this stupid plateau.

Bigdog, thank you for the advice, I will definatly get a variety pack and try out the chocolate truffle. I miss my chocolate milk after workouts. I mean I like going to the gym well enough, but that was definatly a perk.

So yeah, I fell off the horse with a really loud crash. But I am back this morning, made a "not an omlet" for breakfast (just eggs fried that way, but no veggies or meat or cheese. Thank you Grosse Point Blank) and some cinnamon toast. Hubby packed the salad and cottage cheese for lunch. I will have to try the pumpkin pie idea, it sounds good.

Now, I am off...like a herd of turtles to the morning meeting in my department. Whoosh! :carrot:

I had maintenance weigh in and lost the 1/2 pounds I gained, bringing me 5 pounds under goal..

They measured me and I am ashamed to say, being a nurse, I should know what this all means but don't. Body fat went from 31 to 29.1 , gained 1 1/2 pound of muscle and gained 1/12 pound of water meaning I am hydrated.

I was at meetings two days this week and took a shake for breakfast and lunch both days and then had a regular supper on green menu. Welllll, I gained 2 pounds on that, and went to the old green menu to get it off before weigh in. I was told there is 10 grams of sugar in the shakes and I should never take more than 2/3 of a package. I did the whole pack with a HNS. Was tikd too much sugar and too much protein.. I know one person said they gained when on meta quick or did not lose, can't recall who, and I thought it was Jen, but then I could be mistaken, next time, take 2/3 or better yet they said 1/2 of package of shake if you have that problem.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day..
Patzi

Patzi,

from all the research I have been doing for women 25-30% or so is in the healthy/not althletic range. There is a chart and information here

builtlean.com/2010/08/03/ideal-body-fat-percentage-chart/

with the www in front of course. Of course you also need to take into account age and whatnot. So take a look, see the sites, ride the rides, etc.

I have been trying to figure it all out and was told that my ideal range is from 154-182. After measuring myself at home (I got a tiny 20$ thing at amazon that runs the current through me and tells me my fat percentage) I am 45.9%...which makes me sad. But if I had no body fat I would be about 128 (I think that is right, it has been a few days and my brain is kind of fuzzy sometimes about specific numbers) But women, more than men, are supposed to have more body fat. My husband and I were talking about this becuase he is eating on program to be supportive, but not taking the HNS, and he is losing weight like crazy. I make him check his body composition at least every few weeks to make sure he is retaining muscles. So far, no loss.

Wow, that was a long drawn out thing. Either way. There are several sites out there where you can enter weight and waist measurement and whatnot and it will help determine your body fat percent even without the fancy dancy little doodad. But i am a tech junkie, so I wanted it.

And now time to try to sleep with my eyes open sitting at my desk...oh wait. That's work. nevermind.

"from all the research I have been doing for women 25-30% or so is in the healthy/not althletic range. There is a chart and information here"

Yikes! I just had my body comp done on Saturday and am at 38% body fat. My counselor mentioned that my body fat may not get down to within range since I have large breasts (and they are essentially just fat!).

Good news is I finally broke my 3 week platueau and had a 1.5 pound loss on Saturday. Bad news is I am having a colonoscopy tomorrow so I am on clear liquids today and fear with all the sugar & salt in juices, gatorade and broth that I will have a gain.

Faerychic: I figure as long as I feel good and think that i look good (having awesome abs back would be nice) then I will consider it a win. I have worn a DD or DDD since high school, even during my weight lifting. and part of why I want to lose some of my squishyness is so that my back will quit giving me so many problems. I will still have to lug around alot up there, but not so much everywhere else.

Besides, like everything else having to do with losing weight, nothing is written in stone and everyone is shaped and sized differently. I cannot say how many times I have been told by women that they lose weight from their boobs first, but I have never had that problem (fingers crossed that I won't) so I understand where you are comming from.

Oh, and congrats on breaking your plateau! And even if you have a little gain from the sodium in the broth and whatnot, it will probably just be water weight and should not be a problem once you are able to get away from it again.

Hey Camaswa. Read faerychicks. Blog. Typing on new iPad so ignore my typos. Didn't you say you are top heavy. (lucky!). So there is your fat ratio! Tell your consultant that! ;). My good friend who is well endowed always says each b@@b is ten pounds!

Went to WI today and was surprised by the number. Down 1.5. I was feeling like I would not be down any. So that was a good surprise. They also did measurements and I have lost a total of 79 inches. That is pretty amazing if you ask me. I am going to have to purchase more program time and am really bummed about that. I am thinking another 4 weeks should be long enough to reach my goal. I haven't brought this up to the center yet and won't until they make a remark about my time. I was hoping to reach goal in the time that I purchased but that's not going to happen. For some reason this is making me feel like I failed. I know that's nuts because I am so much healthier and eat so much better so there is no way that can be a fail. But I still feel like I have failed. Just having a pity party for myself. I'm going to gazelle now so maybe that will boost the mood.

patzi-those numbers mean that even though your weight is staying relatively the same, you are getting more muscle and losing fat (so looking even better).

For everyone...any reduction is body fat % reduces your risk of disease. so yes, there is are ranges that are healthier than others, but if you are at 45% and get down to 35% that is a HUGE...I mean HUGE improvement in disease risk (not to mention you look and feel better). But some people may be discouraged because 35% is considered an unhealthy body fat%, but it is waaaaay healthier than 45%. So all you are looking for is progress. I've always wanted to be in the 25-27% range. I will be taking mine again in a week when we do body comps in my ex. phys. lab. Here's an interesting thing you all may want to note. When you use a hand held or one you stand on, it only calculates that part of your body (i.e., if you are standing on a scale that reads body fat %, it only reads you basically waist down). So if you are standing on a scale and you know you retain most of your fat in your bottom areas, your actual percentage may be slightly low. But as long as you continue to monitor with the same piece of equipment you will be able to track progress. also, hydration levels can throw off the #'s one way or another.

Menu
 

Hello anyone, I was reading that some of you have really lost weight(Congrat), just wanted to know are you apart of the metabolic research program and if so, what do your menu consist of to help with the weight loss? Thanks

Happy Hump Day!!! Felt like crap yesterday. Not sure what was going on. I even bailed on running at lunch time when I was looking forward to it. Ever have one of those days where every bone and muscle in your body just aches? Not PMSing, so that's out. Just an off day I guess.

Congrats baby doll, patzi, faerychic, & ynapier on your losses! Great job!