Rowdy Yates, Yes! My body does the same as yours with diet soda. I think it is because it is so full of chemicals. It's amazing how our bodies have a way of telling us that this stuff is not good for us.

My first day on program !!!!
 

Today is my first day on program :carrot: I am really excited! You ladies here on this thread have really inspired me. As I was making my decision to join I lurked here for a bit and wow wow wow I am amazed at the success you have all had.

So with today being my first day my daughter wanted to take me to lunch yesterday. We decided on going the comfort food route and had Popeyes chicken and than went to an ice cream shop. I then ended up working till 9pm last night so I picked up Taco Bell on the way home. Now this morning my stomach is churning and I feel so yucky! That "last supper" was not so good after all :dizzy:

Here's to pre~conditioning!

Kim

kimiss-- ive been on a "last supper" sort of mentality this week... all week, actually... not every meal, and not THAT bad, but im "allowing" myself to have foods i wouldnt normally, once or twice a day. i actually ahd a BURGER AND FRIES last Saturday night. i LITERALLY cannot remember the last time i had a burger/fries at a restaraunt. LITERALLY. Must have been at LEAST 4-5 years..... and yesterday i ate a bagel for breakfast.....coupoe nights ago i got Taco Bell for dinner... Things like that..... I actually pretty much stick to the "yellow" ish menu all day except for one meal...... im so ready to start the darned program!! i have "food Prep" class tomorrow night, so im going to officially start on Saturday, even though THEY said to start on Monday

I just wanted to wish all our new and returning ladies the best of luck as you all start your journey. I was where you are a year ago. I was scared the program wouldn't work. I was scared I'd never lose the pregnancy weight. I was scared about never enjoying the foods I wanted again.

Turns out I had nothing to be scared about.

I sit here a year later and and not only did I get rid of the pregnancy weight, I'm 33 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. I actually weigh 10 pounds less than I did on my wedding day. :D

This program does work, but you have to stick with it. There are reasons why they have you eat certain things in the size portions they do. There are reasons why you can't have certain foods even though they may seem harmless. If you work the program, it does work. With that said, I wasn't perfect on plan. The biggest thing is if you fall of the wagon, make it a short fall. Dust yourself off and get back in the game. As much as this is a physical journey, it's just as much a mental one. Once I figured that out, things started to click. Did I want that pizza, or did I need that pizza? Once I started asking myself those kinds of questions, it became easier to resist temptation. You will find your way just as many of us did. Just don't give up on yourself! You can do this!!!

Above all else, this forum has been the best support system I could have ever asked for. Please keep involved. While it's great to have a counselor to go see once or twice a week, these ladies are here every day. I couldn't have done it without them.

Good luck to you all!!!! :goodluck:

Well said Jen! I have not lost nearly as much as you have but I totally agree with you. It really is so mental, regardless if you have 20 or 100 to lose. And it does work best when you don't try to rationalize substitutes or additions. I just wish they did a better job explaining things sometimes... Sine my fresh start a couple weeks ago, I have been asking why. Like why not cottage cheese or yougert at dinner,only at lunch. That made no sense but it turns out there is a reason! It is a very finely tuned program - slips that seem insignificant can really stall you or cause a gain that you just wouldn't expect. I still mess around with it sometimes - like using caned/cooked tomatoes, I just hate the tomatoe soup HNS- but it does show up. It's taken me a while to realise that.

I am having one of those battling against the pizza days today, actually. Just got an email from the vet. Odin, our kitty who has seizures, is going to get put on a different med in adition to his phenobarb. This one has to be given 3 times a day, which I don't know how that will work with both husband and I working. I might be able to switch up my hours, stop carpooling, and come in at 7 and leave at 3:30. But that is kind of a big maybe. The only thing I am really thankful for is that at least all these things are tuna flavored and given orally so I don't have pincushion kitty.

Yes, comfort food is totally hard to resist right now. We were planning a vacation in June and we were gonna have to hire a pet sitter to come by twice a day to medicate, now it is gonna be 3 times a day (another $100) and I am so tired of this. Honestly I don't know if I am gonna be able to stay with MRC anyway becuase having to pay for their drinks is kind of kicking my budget all to ****, this vacation (to a convention in Pittsburg, we are rooming with friends and driving to save on airfare) has been pared down to the smallest possible budget. My back is still mad at me, and I want to scream and set people on fire. It would not help really, but I would feel better. Other things that go through my mind are taking the day off early, going home, ordering a pizza, eating the whole thing and then crawling under the covers and ignoring the world for as many days as possible...which would not be long becuase my parents are comming to visit on Saturday.

I keep wishing my boss would change jobs so I could get a promotion, but even if she does it will be 3 or 4 months. Welp, I'm boned.

Jen..
Very well said, indeed. I agree with you 100%.

I would like to add from my own personal experience, I learned balanced meals, and I was able to address the emotial side of my eating, which was a factor that helped me get to the point that I needed to go to MRC. In my case, all was due to stress from family illness pulling me in all directions. There are times I cannot believe I am at maintenace and maintaining , a year this June. It is a wonderful feeling.. I feel great and have more energy than I have had in years, and a plus was able to get off high blood pressure medication.. I can say I truly enjoyed my weigh loss journey, it had it's moments, but I was able to get thru them, and am grateful not only to my consultants but everyone on this forum. If it was not for my buddies here at the forum, I would not have made it. A wonderful bunch of people, for sure. So , please stay with the program, work it and it will be rewarding to you, I promise. I forgot to say I have learned discipline. One or two pieces of pizza with a salad is great, vs. eating the whole pie. Good luck to all of you in your new challenge.

Patzi

Welcome!

Yep - emotional eating and stress are huge factors. I never realized, before program, how much of an emotional eater I was. I knew I craved certain things (and still do) but it seems like they are worse when there's something stressful or when I need some more sleep and such. I still struggle - but I've learned things to help me (i.e. I can't keep certain "trigger" foods in the house). Although I'm not on stabilization yet, I still have done a little leeway in my eating... I'm learning.

Rowdy - I used to be a Diet Mt. Dew and then a Diet Dr. Pepper junkie... but now, after not having any since August, I can't stand it. I tried a taste of Diet Sprite in August when I wasn't feeling well and it burned my throat and made me feel worse. I feel now that, if I ever try again, I could become addicted to the stuff, so I just stay away. (Helps me get my water in anyway).

Galadreal - sorry about your kitty. You're right, though, to recognize that you would want to go home and eat the pizza and hang out in bed... and that you won't. That's a step to realize where you're at now.

I agree with Camaswa. It seems like (for me anyway) the more I substitue and go off program, the less I lose and the harder it is for me to get back on track... again, recognizing where I am and learning my tendencies and all that.

Weighed in yesterday and stayed the same... not disappointed though because I did go OP during the potluck and all that. So, I'm back on track!

Tonight is Zumba and then Saturday is two hours of Zumba... yippee! Go, Losers!

I am also having one of those days when I feel like having a candy bar. The urge isn't as strong as it would have been a few weeks ago, and I'm managing to keep it together so far.

Back from NY and Boston. Hubby did not have a good experience running Boston marathon this year-too hot, upper 80's. At one point, blacktop temp was 100 but he did not stop and finished the race. He said it was a humbling experience. My head was telling me something was wrong but my heart told me he was okay so needless to say, I was a little weepy when I saw him. But we did get to see g/prince - it had been 1 yr and he had changed so much.
I stayed OP as much as I could while traveling even keeping up with water intake. My scales show I'm down 1 lb. Will WI tomorrow so I'll see.

Congrats to all that are losing or staying steady. Welcome to new and returning folks.

I just want to say thank you to Jen and Patzi for your encouraging words. I was on a high when I first started about 3 weeks ago...I lost 8 pounds quickly. I started to think about the foods I would not be able to eat again and I started eating...and eating...and eating, and I could not stop. I have a couple of tests coming up in school. The semester ends in 2 weeks. I was going to postpone eating on plan even more so I could study for the tests...and of course eat off plan. Thanks to Jen and Patzi, I am going to start right back on plan tomorrow. I can't keep putting my program off. I know I can bring my drinks with me and plan my meals...no excuses! I know my goal is attainable if I just DO IT. It is at the point where I am embarassed to leave my house because I don't want my peers to see how much weight I have gained. I am tired of looking and feeling the way I do...so I am back tomorrow on plan. I need all the support here I can get because I don't want to be a failure...I really don't. I am going to be honest in my posts whether I am doing good or bad. I am so happy this group is here. Thanks to all! :)

Congratulations on reaching your goal skinny farmer!
Galad...get the Syntrax nectar vanilla bean or chocolate truffle and use that as your HNS 3 to 4 times a day. Just don't tell the center. Drink tons of water and tell your DH that he needs to support you and not offer to take you to pizza places.... My DH last week was whining about not being able to order pizza any more and I was like...go ahead and order a pizza.. I just don't want any so he said well I don't want to eat it by myself. OMG. Really? I love how determined I am about keeping this weight off!
We went to dinner w friends and I ordered a bunless burger that was served on a big bed of lettuce, onions with hot sauce and a little blue cheese. Yum! My friends and DH ordered fried oysters, fish n chips, cottage pie, fries, garlic bread and I looked around and said (accidentally) carbs are the devil! The music was loud so I don't think anyone heard me but my DH started laughing!

The MRC plan does work. Take it one day at a time and you will be amazed at how well it works. Thanks everyone for sharing the recipes and your successes and even what challenges u are facing daily. All of this really helps me focus...

Oh my next purchase will be a new wonder bra! Was walking downtown and my too big bra was so loose -wasn't doing a thing for my smaller puppies!!

Bigdog,

I have a big tub of both the Chocolate Truffle, and the Vanilla Bean Torte, that I have a half scoop in water after a workout (milk protien builds better muscles than any other kind). But I know that if you stay with the center they want you to buy their stuff. I may just have to talk to them and tell them I need a break (due to finances) and then carry on with the beige menue and the Syntrax at home until I can afford to go back. I don't want to stop being on plan becuase it is working, their stuff is just so expensive.
I was down another half pound from Tuesday when i went to weigh in yesterday, so i do know it works...just costs alot on a not great sized budget.

Also, I don't know if anyone else has blood pressure issues, but I have started taking these 315mg Green tea tablets (from walmart) that are helping mine alot. It spiked pretty high when I stopped drinking green tea (have to get it more water, can't spoil it by adding a teabag), but mine has been really good the last 4 times it was checked. It might be something to look into. For 4 bucks it can't hurt.

Originally Posted by Galadreal:
Bigdog,

I have a big tub of both the Chocolate Truffle, and the Vanilla Bean Torte, that I have a half scoop in water after a workout (milk protien builds better muscles than any other kind). But I know that if you stay with the center they want you to buy their stuff. I may just have to talk to them and tell them I need a break (due to finances) and then carry on with the beige menue and the Syntrax at home until I can afford to go back. I don't want to stop being on plan becuase it is working, their stuff is just so expensive.
I was down another half pound from Tuesday when i went to weigh in yesterday, so i do know it works...just costs alot on a not great sized budget.

Also, I don't know if anyone else has blood pressure issues, but I have started taking these 315mg Green tea tablets (from walmart) that are helping mine alot. It spiked pretty high when I stopped drinking green tea (have to get it more water, can't spoil it by adding a teabag), but mine has been really good the last 4 times it was checked. It might be something to look into. For 4 bucks it can't hurt.

i paid $399 for the MRC plan for 17 weeks and didn't realize they wanted me to buy all their stuff until the Food Instruction class a week later. when the instructor said she spends over $100 a month for just the supplements, not even the HNSs i was like, OH H*** NO! but that's just me :-) i started googling MRC to find out what the policy was and i found this site! which saved me. and that's where i found out from others posting that i could order from Diet Direct or get the protein powder from Walmart, etc. When i went back to the center, i told them i signed up not knowing i had to buy all this extra stuff and said i had already bought the huge containers of protein powder and had all my own vitamins, fish oil, etc. and told them i loved the MRC plan, was already successful on losing just in a week and didn't want to quit and get my money back. (since they didn't tell me up front). the guy i spoke with said he didn't want me to quit and he put notes in my folder that i had my own stuff but i did not have the guarantee (to lose all my weight in 17 weeks and not have to pay till i did)... i didn't care about the guarantee anyway because i knew w/ my lifestyle, i was not going to lose 3-5 lbs a week anyway! i was happy w/ 1-2 lbs a week..
i would talk to them and tell them how much you love the plan and them (butter them up girl!) or when they ask if you want to buy something, tell them you've already bought your own protein powder or tell them your friend gave you a bunch of stuff... i personally stopped taking my pocketbook in when i weighed... one thing i did love about the center is that they took my measurements...if i didn't have a loss on the scale, they would measure me which was cool showing how many inches i lost :-)
i learn more from you guys but my center was an hour away and if i was closer i would have taken advantage of the cooking classes and other things they offered so that's not their fault. they had a center in my town when i first joined, then closed it...
i love the Vanilla Bean Torte!! made a peach shake yesterday with it - so good!!! mixed some in my coffee today - yum!!

yeah, mine was 625 to start out, but I have alot more to lose. And although they told me when I started that I would need to buy the drinks they did not say how many or how much. Originally they said I should take up to 2 a day, then when I went to the class they said 3-5 a day.

I do like that they take my measurements, (down 10.5 inches total at the 8 week mark) and that they take muscle mass. Honestly most of the classes I have been to have not been that great. The cooking class I went to had 2 recipies, both which relied heavily on the HNS, and neither of which I liked. Plus she had already made the stuff and it came off as more of a sales pitch to buy their stuff. The other one was a fitness class, where the instructor was speed walking...I fell far behind but at least hubby stayed with me, he had to drag me up a few hills.