Well, i FINALLY had my whoosh i was waiting for!! been pretty much 100% on plan ALL WEEK (WAHOO!) so im on a roll now... feel like i have some moentum going... pants are looser,a ll that.. :) Stepped on the scale this morning and down to 150.0 EXACTLY... pretty much 3.5 pounds overnight! im going to go weigh-in first thing in the am when they open tomorrow, so hopefully not having a belly full of food and water will reflect my "whoosh"! But darn, it wa a long time coming!
Youre supposed to lose the most in the beginning, ad i didnt lose a single pound for 3 weeks! SO, i think its catching up... :) im going to Vegas over memorial day and the following week, and im REALLY HOPING to be firmly entrenched in the 140s by then so i can wear a bathing suit with confidence! Staying with friends/relatives, so im not worried about staying OP. After all, they have grocery stores in vegas, and my kitchen scale will fit into my luggage, lol. I have NO PROBLEM cooking for myself and weighing my food in front of everyone else while they eat pizza, or BBQ or whatever....... doesnt bother me in the least, never has... although im sure i will go out to eat a couple times, but will just order a salad and grilled chicken, sneak my wishbone dressing in my purse, etc....
I even went to see the Avengers with my daughter this week. I just brought a REALLY BIG purse with my ginormous salad and grilled chicken and ate that while she munched on candy and nachos...... my only rule? i FORBIDE popcorn!!! Didnt know if i had the will power to resist a bucket of it next to me..... and i wasnt TOO worried id dive into the strangers bucket next to me!

KMNcnair-- i doubt minor scraps/site swelling will affect your "weight loss" and even if it DOESN reflect alittle onthe scale (which i doubt) then fatloss is still occurring, regardless, KWIM?
Congrats to all who lost weight this week! :)

Congrats to all the losers...well, you guys get what I mean :O)
Any who, has anyone had any problems with those darn "pee sticks"? For the life of me NOT ONE has ever turned for me and going on week 6 now. I've lost about apprx. 10lbs, but feel very discouraged every time I don't see any color change on stick and also since I was due to be losing 3lbs per week and clearly not happening :O( Has anyone else experienced same?

I talked to my center about the cost of HNSs, and they put me on a 1500 maintenance plan. They said once my body gets used to it, they will drop me to the 1200, but they did not want to shock my system. Honestly it is nice not to have to eat so much every day. And after dinner tonight, I can have 1 cup of popcorn. YAY. looks like a good start to the weekend.

I lost 1/2 lb this week and with all the stress the past two weeks with mo end in sight, I'm happy with any loss. Tonight my husband took me clothes shopping and to my surprise I was not only down a size but two. That puts me down 5 dress sizes and I actually bought a cute little summer dress from the regular sizes not the women's. I have never liked clothes shopping but I was as giddie as a school girl taking clothes in the dressing room.
I may be here a lot in the coming months needing support to stay focused. My father was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I found it so easy today to eat off program and I need to stay focused.

Congrats to all the losers this week!

Oh Fluffy, HUGS! We are here for you.

And congratulations on the new sizes, always a nice thing.

I Got This!
 

way to go Fluffy! that is my biggest motivation, to be able to wear the clothes i want to and not "outgrow" them again! thank Goodness, i didn't give them away because at one point i was like, i'm never going to lose this weight but finally found the right plan for me! thank you MRC!
if you guys get a chance, read Jennifer Hudson's book, I GOT THIS (How I changed my ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down) i checked it out of the library - i read so much and even though i have a NOOK and Ipad, i'm at the library every week checking out new fiction or non fiction...
the book starts out w/ her rise to stardom, American Idol experience, Dream Girls role, etc. but the best part of the book is in the last few chapters.
We've talked on this forum about things or people that keep us from reaching our goal and some of us even sabatage ourselves because maybe we don't feel like we deserve to be thinner, healthier and happier..
From the book
What about loving yourself enough to give it everything you've got and make the commitment to get rid of the things that have been weighing you down? "Will you finally give yourself permission to break free from the chains that have bound you or will you stay exactly where you are, thinking it's fine? Look, if you don't like the mirror, don't break the mirror. If you're tired of being on that diet roller coaster and are finally ready to get off that ride forever, you have the power, the choice, and now the tools to make that happen. Life isn't about what cards you are dealt--it's about how you play that hand. ....you are making a lifelong commitment to health. It won't happen overnight, but if you stick with it, I promise, it will come to pass.

Congratulations of signing the 30 pound board!!! woo hoo! you are doing fantastic and keeping the weight off and that's the most important part! two of my friends who joined before me and told me about this program have gone off the plan and regained - one of them was doing those drops we aren't supposed to talk about and she's heavier now than when she started. both of these gals did all the supplements too but kept drinking and eating what they wanted! thinking the pills were going to take care of all that. i'm so glad that i stuck to my guns about not taking the pills and just working the plan :-) i used to get cramps all the time in my legs and stretching really works and i've heard to step up the potassium...i take Calcium every day and i'm thinking even though im not drinking milk, cheese and my greek yogurt have calcium... our Chocolate truffle powder has 50 mg potassium and whey protein isolate (milk)...

Signed the 25 pounds lost board today, got measurements and body comp done too. So when I started this weight loss journey I told MRC my goal was to weigh 160. That puts me in a size 10 and is a comfortable weight for me. According to the body comp today they now want me to get to 150 pounds. I am not motivated to do this. I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel now with 7.5 more pounds to lose. Once I get to 160 if my BMI is not 24% then I may consider losing more. Crazy to think with these measurements I am still considered obese according to the charts! I am 51 years old, 5'8", and have a large build - size 11 shoes! I actually feel really good now at 167.5!

Measurements today were:
BMI = 25.5 (goal is 24 or less)
Fat percentage = 37% (goal is 30% YIKES!)
Waist = 32.5 in (happy I am below 35!)
Muscle = 28.5 (lost .5, counselor said be sure to have 4 HNS's daily and consider light weight lifting to get muscle mass back up)
Total inches lost = 38.5

I would be interested to find out what others measurements and goals are besides with number on the scale.

Wishing all the mom's a happy mother's day tomorrow and hope everyone has a great weekend!

camasma...
Congrats on signing the 30 pound board.. That is a great. You do not have to set records, you are getting there at your own p ace and that is just fine.

Bigdog.. I have friends that have gained big time. They took all the supplements but ate what they wanted and constantly cheated and that will not do it, it just won't. What they did was make MRC their own diet , their own way . One of those people I am talking about started again from the beginning and this time is going to stay OP and focus and is doing well. She has lost 35 pounds since she is working the program. Other two blame the diet and everything else they can on why they cheat, so have left the program. MRC diet works and they have you follow the diet for a reason, and it is not to be altered to one's own liking. Lot of money spent to just give up, isn't it? I tried everything in my power to help the two that failed, but to no avail, so gave up.

I have that problem in legs, also, and up my potassium and make sure my calcium is at a good ratio with magnesium. It has actually woken me up at night..

Fluffy.. Imagine down 5 dress sizes.. My goodness, this is so exciting.. Come to the board all you need. My sister has Cancer and my daughter is ill, so it is so difficult in the stress situation. I truly understand where you are at.. I will pray for your dad. We are here at any time for you. Enjoy your cute dress, you deserve it.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day. Nice day here today in Florida. Nice breeze and just delightful.

Patzi

Faery. Your bmi is 24.3 which is average not obese if your weight is 160. My bmi is 24.9. Which is average. Weight is 164 and height same as yours
Ck out this link. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm
this dang iPad is driving me crazy - i typed in a message and hit a key and deleted the whole thing...not once but twice!! so now going old school and switched to the laptop for some speedy typing :-) when i weighed in at the center and got my body comp done, i asked them for a copy of the print out. i then realized they had my height wrong at 5'7" and my goal weight at 147!! it has always been 165. i am very close to your age and 165 is a good weight for me and a weight i can maintain. i may lose a little more - but 147 seems to be a bit unrealistic and if you are comfortable with where you are at - then stand your ground and tell them that. i have curves and nothing is going to change that - that's my body and i actually like it! my DH did a double take last night when we went out because for once i had a short fitted jacket on that didn't cover my bootie and some form fitting capris on w/ some very cool platform sandals :-) i love shoes by the way! Yes, i was all that and more!!!!! haha this past week, two people and even my boss was like wow! you are so skinny...i was like, Who me? Really? but i've noticed some of my "jealous" friends looking me up and down and are like...hmph... oh, well i want to say, keep eating those chips and dip and that bag of m&ms you keep on your desk...oh well....

Signed the 20 lb board today, and got a green bracelet!! So excited :D

DH took me to buy new clothes a couple days ago, and was down 2 pant sizes and 1 shirt size. I kept trying on clothes that were too big, I guess by habit. It was nice to be able to fit comfortably into a size I haven't seen in at least a decade. I hope they will be too loose soon. :devil:

Congrats to all the looser's, keep up the good work. Happy mother's day to all moms, grand-moms, etc.

Have a GREAT on plan weekend all!!

Faerychic, this is exactly what I am wrestling with. At 39%, my bodyfat is too high, even though my scale weight isnt bad, and my BMI is within normal now. As I understand it, the ratio of lean to fat is important to track because muscle is what keeps our metabolism stoked to burn fat. That's why men lose so much faster: they have more muscle.

When your bodyfat is above 30%, my understanding is that it becomes way more difficult it to keep off what you have worked so hard to lose. Most diets do cause you to lose a lot of muscle along with the fat. That's why she told you to step up the protein and lift weights. Last time I had lost just a few pounds but actually GAINED .5 pounds of muscle, which was why I suddenly seemed a lot smaller than the previous five pounds.

I think this whole concept is incredibly important to understand, but unfortunately it isn't very motivating- we like to see that drop on the scale each week. If you had them do your bodyfat every week, the drop would be so small each time that it wouldn't feel like progress. But in fact, it is the progress that matters most in the end.

I don't think they do a very good job explaining all this. But there are many sources of information. I have liked reading online stuff by Tom Venutto. You might google him.

I'm still not sure what my weight goal should be - maybe about 150 like you. Ugh, that seems like a long ways away. I have really stepped up the weight training in hopes that I can get that bodyfat to go down faster. I train 3 times a week and only do cardio twice now, which is probably the opposite of what most people do. I love how it makes me feel. Its too late to get rid of the batwings, I am afraid, but oh well.

Bottom line, I think your counselor may be right. You could always stabilize AND weight train, maybe that would change the ratio without all the dramatic fixation on lower scale numbers that we get into... Just a thought. At any rate,I'm sure you look fantastic as a size 10 at your height! I am fitting into more 10s all the time and am so happy about that.

Fluffy, my Father in law was diagnosed w/ Pancreatic cancer jan. 1st this year and we have been through a lot w/ the Doctor's visits, two hospitals, putting my MIL in respite at an Assisted Living facility (she has Alzheimers)- trying to work and take care of them ran my DH and i ragged for sure. we are their only family in town so did it all. thank goodness, found some great support in their friends and ours... He had the Whipple procedure and it was a success and is now doing Chemo to make sure the cancer doesn't spread. some cancer was in the lymph nodes... he has remained very positive throughout all of this and the main reason is because of all the support from the caregivers at the hospital, assisted living, etc. and the family's calls and support... anyway, make sure you check w/ local cancer support groups - for you, your dad and family. they are trained to help you through this. you are not alone! and post as much as you want. alot of us have been through this w/ our families.. Prayers for you and your family!

Body fat ratio
 

Hey guys. Check this out. Found this website where you can calculate body fat ratio. Let me know if you think it's accurate. You enter your height weight and age. For the height I think 5'8" = 68"
I chose the test on the far right where you enter inches for neck, hips and waist. Calculated 29.17 % body fat for me. Anything over 32% was considered obese.
Didn't Gina mention the way the MRC scales calculate isn't always accurate?
Let me know what you think. Make sure you choose the womens test


http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

this site calculated my fat percentage at 30.10% which equals 50 pounds!. MRC said it was 37% - that is quite a difference.

I think I will stick to my original weight loss goal of 160. My weight loss weeks end on 6/29 and I will stabilize at whatever weight I am at. I figure I should be at goal by then or at least real close! I started a boot camp class last month and will work with them on getting my body fat percentage where it needs to be. That makes more sense then to try and get to 150 with MRC. I would think if I start adding muscle at 160 I would lose some fat in the process right?

Apparently my knee measurement was up a half inch yesterday, from 15 to 15.5. The counselor was so worried about it and re- measured 3 times. Wanted to know if maybe I have been on a walk before I came in..............it's probably from all the lunges & squats I have been doing! :jig:

Bigdog, great calculator. I came out as 32.8. That's a. Lot different than 39% on the Tantia thing. Not sure what to make of it. I would buy that software if they had an iPad app.

Your story was a good one about getting checked out up and down by porky co-workers! We finally hit the 80s here and yesterday I wore a tank top in public. I admit I wasn't entirely comfortable because I do have those batwings but the total look was way better than most 50- plus year old women I see.

This year I am going to enjoy summer clothes! I may even buy a little dress too, Fluffy! I'm seeing cute ones everywhere.

Faerychic, I think your plan sounds good, especially with the bootcamp to build muscle. For myself, I'm still torn. 150 seems so far off. And maybe not realistic to maintain. 155, more attainable maybe. As get close to 160 I do fel that for me, that's not quite the place to stop. I think my frame is smaller and I want some wiggle room. Literally!

Faery and Camaswa. If you can ask the staff at the gym you go to which fat ratio calculator or machine they use let me know. The gym I used to go to used the calipers to measure... The boot camp sounds really fun! I walk a few miles every am but really want to start weight lifting again. Thinking I need to join the gym again. I have free weights but don't seem to be motivated to use them at home. But in the past I'd join the gym and end up not going....hmmm. How can I motivate myself?
Re the batwings - yep if I wave at someone they are still waving! I never wear sleeveless stuff and really need to tighten up

So glad I didn't give away my too tight or could not fit in stuff! Found two crates of summer clothes and I can fit into everything! Feel like I have a new wardrobe! Now that is real motivation to keep the weight off!

Happy Mothers Day everyone!

Wow! So many board signers in the past few days! Congrats!!!

Congrats, everyone! On the body fat thing, mine is still quite a bit high at 32 or 34%... I'm trying to work on weight training to see if I can get it down. Not sure I'll weigh the 148 they're predicting for me, but that's okay. I'm okay with myself, sculpting the areas, eating sensibly and feeling good. I'm not perfect on the plan (i.e Sundays are my downfall) but I get back on and keep moving... that's the point, right?

It's a lot easier to lose and continue on the program if I don't stray, but (like with this weekend's concert) I also know that I need to see if the sacrifice is worth derailing me for a few days - most cases it's not... this weekend, it was so now we're on MetaQuick for a few days to see how I feel.

BigDog - is there a way to add weight to your daily activities? Yesterday was my no exercise day but I had eaten off plan so I decided to go for a 3 mile walk. Took my handweights (2 pounders) along to do some curls and lifts while walking - made a difference in my shoulders. Anyway, I wonder if you could just incorporate some light weights into your cardio or other activity if you'd be more motivated to stick with the weights? ... just a thought...

Today is day 6 of metaquick, and I've hovered right around the same weight all weekend--although to be completely honest, I did have a sushi dinner on Saturday, and all that rice might be holding me back. Been back on plan yesterday and plan to today--so I'll be interested if the scale moves at all tomorrow.

Thanks so much for keeping us advised.. I really appreciate it.

Patzi

that's a good idea with the weights but when I'm walking I have a 85 lb GSD on one side and a 100 lb GSD on the other side! I do love my sit coms and could easily lift weights when I'm watching tv :). At least that would be a start! I'm going to track it in my calendar that I keep posted on my bulletin board w work stuff....actually could program in outlook express and my phone would beep at me till I did it!

Want to share the best thing that happened to me on mothers day....I was walking down the hall at home and my 16 yr old said "Mom, I can really tell you are losing weight." I said "Where does it show?" Her answer was "All over" Now that made my day yesterday!

My center had a Biggest Loser Contest a few weeks back. I signed the sheet on the wall to enter and when I went into weigh this morning I was told I won and got 5 boxes of HNS. Now that made my day today!

I have been struggling to stay on program the past 6-7 days. The contest was before my off program streak. Now, after these last two days i am once again on track. How could I not be?

Can't wait until I lose more and feel like exercising more, in the mean time I pitched some 3X tshirts out the door and bought a few 2X to get me by.

I am so happy for all the board signers, weight losers and exercisers.

That's fantastic Rowdy!!!!get right back on track. You can do this! How about setting another mini goal? You mentioned you went off program when you won the contest....set another mini goal and keep going! To keep myself motivated I'll set little goals like. Beach vacation coming up, lose 3-5 lbs etc My next goal is lose a few more pounds before family get together end of next month. Keeps me going in the right direction. I've lost and gained so many times this time I'm keeping it off :)

Yay Rowdy! That is a wonderful little story about your 16 year old. They don't hand out the compliments often, in my experience! You deserve it!

Bigdog- Your mini goal suggestion is just exactly what I need to do. I get too overwhelmed looking at the big picture. I also get too mixed up when I have too many food choice at this point in my journey. I need to keep it short term and simple! Thanks for your suggestion, by the way I love big dogs, I have a Newfoundland.

Camaswa-Yes, a compliment from a 16 yr old is very rare! Even a conversation at all is not a common occurence these days! Hope I get another from her someday!!!

you are right, Camaswa!! sometimes our families are our worse critics! funny story about my MIL...she wears about the same size i do now. after going through some of my clothes, i had alot of Talbot khaki pants (i do NOT wear light color pants - i'm a curvy kind of gal) i don't care how much weight i lose, i'll still have a booty :-) so i take them to her this weekend.. she holds them up and says, i guess i can wear them if i take them up a whole lot! i wanted to say, oh, no you didn't!!! and make her try them on but i didn't - it was Mothers Day after all!!! LOL (i know what size she wears because we buy all her clothes)

Bigdog, maybe you should buy a pilates ball for when you watch TV. Just sitting on one helps your core muscles because they have to constantly work to stabalize. Or you can do hip rolls and things just while sitting there. It is easy to get a few mini workouts in during commercials. And if you do get some small handweights that would also be cool. Or consider getting some wrist or ankle straps for when you go on your walks. They have small ones that just velcro around your wrists or ankles. My last set had sandbags that you could remove depending on how much you wanted them to weigh. But I have also heard of ones that you fill with water.

Rowdy, you are doing awesome! keep up the good work. I still keep my 2X shirts becuase I like baggy t-shirts...and I am too cheap to buy any new clothes until I have too. I need to go get a belt actually. :)

Waiting on my computer to download ads. I did bicep curls and worked my triceps with 5 lb hand weights for 15 minutes and already feel the burn. I actually have anklevweights. Just need to find them. Excellent idea! My DH works mostly days now and I used to do work out videos in the pm when he worked nights. Hate to work out out when he's here. BTW. The shake a weight hurts my head. I must be shaking too much! The ball sounds good. Used to use one in the gym. I'm thinking my dogs would puncture it though! They try to bite my feet when I'm on the exercise bike. Do belly laughs work the stomach?

The exercise ball is a great idea..........i keep forgetting to pull mine out so thanks the reminder! I sit at a desk all day and am going to try sitting on it for a period of time. Both my chiropractor and fitness instructor suggested doing this.

Learned something new about HNS's.........the manager at my center said to be sure and have 4 a day for max weight loss and sometimes I am unable to get the 4th one in if it is too late in the evening. She said to double up on my mid afternoon HNS. It would be nice if they had a list of tips with this type of info. I am certain there is more that I have not been told........Maybe a thread with tips is called for!

BigDog - That cracks me up... the visual of your dogs nipping at your feet! We have a golden retriever and he's the funniest, craziest dog - definitely keeps us on our toes... but we love him so much.

Rowdy - I'm with you on the simple food choices - I seem to do so much better when I limit my food choices and just stick to two or three go to meals for each time (breakfast, lunch, dinner)... also helps with grocery shopping! But, every now and then, when I crave something I try to find a substitute in the MRC cookbook or in the recipes on here... great resources to keep from boredom.

Faerychic - I heard that about the HNSs from my counselor, but I've noticed that there are different personalities/experiences in the counselors at my center so it depends on who you get as to what type of advice you'll get. I relate better to the ones that have actually lost weight themselves and seem to truly commiserate with what I'm going through... That's where we're lucky we can post here and glean as much information for our journey... just a thought.

Also, with the late night HNS, have you tried the hot cocoa or the soy crisps? They seem to satisfy my munchy-TV cravings and I don't crave more food like I do when I try them during the day...

Whoop whoop!!! WI today and BYE BYE 190s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER see you again! I so have been waiting to see that! Also had measurements done. Down 22.5 inches in 40-something days. Good day! Good day!

I agree with everyone about setting mini-goals. It totally helps me from getting frustrated and giving up. My most recent mini-goal was to get below 190. Now my new mini-goal is to get to 182. I got down to 183 on my own a few years ago and haven't been below that in about 10 years when I put on 50 lbs with my first baby (except when I went in for my 6 wk checkup after I had him and weighed 170-something and gained weight after starting birth control shots). Bring on the 170s!

Hmm...I have an exercise ball.....thinking I should get mine out. I used it a ton back in February when I was trying to make myself go into labor.

Bigdog-funny about your MIL. Perhaps in a week or two you should ask her how those pants fit her? :)

Bigdog, thankfully my cats don't try to eat my feet (or my ball). But when I try to use the exercise bike at home Odin (blind kitty) hears it and always comes running...at which point I have to stop and go lock him in their room to keep him from getting a pedal to the head. He wants to know what is going on and cannot seem to understand that he needs to stay out of the way. He would be fine if I would jsut hold him, but having a 12 pound kitty perched on 1 shoulder would really throw off my balance. But you know, having ankle weights on your feet while walking the dogs might give you a few extra pounds of counterbalance :)

I did gain a pound back yesterday at Wi, but I think it was water weight from having some salty food (Hubby made homemade tortilla chips with turkey chili, and used regular salt). I think my body just got a little and said "water retention time, hooray". We will find out on Thursday. Otherwise just keep on keeping on. Gonna have to run my booty off on Thursday for the Staff Apperciation picnic. A big 4 hour event for the staff here at the University. Gonna be crazy.

I woke up this morning and was down to 135. I highly advise against how I lost two pounds overnight though. Thank you very mean, wicked stomach virus. Started throwing up around 8:30 PM and it didn't stop till 2 AM. I couldn't even keep water down. And let's not forget the extreme body aches, diarrhea, and a headache. It's going around because my DH, mom, sis, & bro all have it. Starting to feel a bit better. Hopefully, this is just a 24 hour thing like I've been told.

Jen - Sorry to hear you're sick. I had the same thing yesterday afternoon - diarrhea, ugh. Finally was able to eat something this morning... had eggs and toast last night because it was the only thing that sounded good. So I'm not sure how the breakfast for dinner thing will go over on the scale but oh well. Back on track today and rockin' it!

Kmcnair - Way to go on the loss! What a great feeling. Keep it up.

Jen - Sorry you are sick. Hopefully it will only be a 24 hour thing. And even more hopeful that your "munchkin" doesn't get it.

I went to WI today was down 1 pound. YEAH!!! I'm below 190. It actually jumped up and down when I saw that number. It felt even better since I did it while I am on stabilization. That makes me think that I can slowly loose more while I'm on maintenance.

Good job ynapier! So close to your goal weight!!!

Get better soon, Jen!!!

you just reminded me of something!! i could get the ball and put in my office and use while im in the office stuck on the computer. excellent idea but my dogs go under the desk but should be ok... i'll have to try that... if you hear a crash, that was just me falling off!! wahahahha

Was having a seriously craving for chocolate, so I had some of a marshmallow bar...ugh. NOT a big fan.