Hey, nvogue! Just wanted to tell you I'm sorry about your having to back down on the exercise... I LOVE my Zumba - I got 4 or 5 times a week. Hang in there, you will move on with weight loss and be able to return ... on a side note, are you drinking 1/2 of your weight in water? Sometimes my weight loss slowed down with not enough rest or water...

I wonder if your counselor would allow you to have a cheese stick or some type of protein after your workout to avoid muscle loss? Just a thought...

I am on day 21 and am down 5.5 pounds. I am bummed by my slow loss
considerig that I am 100% OP. I am trying to remain positive and just realize I'm a slow loser. One big struggle I have is water I barely get my 64 oz in for my minimum. My goal of course is to bump it up to 100 oz.
Okay seriously ladies is that going to really get my weight loss moving?

Honestly, I really don't know. I know some on here have experienced that it does help but I have my doubts about that too.

They tell me at center that "it washes away the fat" but I have to wonder; do the nutrients just magically stay in the system? Couldn't too much water also flush out a lot of nutrients? I know if I drink too much water I get headaches so isn't there a point where you're drinking too much water?

They also say that half your body weight (in .oz) is what you're supposed to be drinking, but I think back to days when humans didn't have readily accessible water (only something that's humans have had in the last hundred years or so...throughout thousands of years of human existence) and I just find it hard to believe that humans evolved to need that much water.

Maybe I think too much.

Thanks rachels77 for the encouragement. I have been walking in the evenings which is not bad. Hopefully, I will be able to return to Zumba soon. I get in about 64 oz of water daily. I haven't increased it to half my weight yet which would be 100 oz. Before starting MRC, I was trying to drink a gallon of water daily but that became too much.

I am definitely getting my proper rest, so I will work on increasing my water. I will ask my counselor about the cheese stick/protein. There is not a center near me, so I am doing my program from home and I call in to talk to the counselors.

Still very pleased with my progress so far. Haven't been able to lose more than six pounds on other plans I have tried before quitting.

In my experience on the program ( its only been 2 months so not that long) I lose more weight if I drink more water and get a full night's rest. When I don't, I notice an incredibly small loss or stall. Also If I am drinking all 4 HNS's I notice it is a more steady loss.

and with all the family here, i was not on the computer so need to remember to do that too! :-) my family that was here eat horribly...full sugar sodas, junk food, candy...we did serve salads w/ each meal we prepared and they were like, yuck! anyway, it's not like i wanted the junk, it was just available and i felt like a slug eating temporally like that. my sis told me that my other sis gave her a few free passes for WW and she claimed she had no time to go... i was trying to explain to her that what me and my oldest sis are doing is not a diet, but a lifestyle change and not all about losing weight, it's about being healthier, having more energy, avoiding health problems and feeling good. the loss of weight really is a bonus :-) back in my routine, exercising and eating right makes me a much happier, less hormonal person! LOL (my DH appreciates that too!)

I started the Meta Slim program on 7/18/2012 and at my two week WI I was down 8lbs. It's been hard since I'm not a big vegetable eater. I've been eating a lot of green beans and it's starting to get old. Any suggestions to make vegetables more appealing.

Hi..
Try roasting veggies or grilling them.. I do that lots. Also, use raw foods as veggies. Last night I had tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, spinach , etc. with a nice dressing that was delicious..
Try looking up veggies online and it will give you many ways to prepare them.
If eggplant is on your diet plan, that is soooo good grilled, if you like that veggie. I try to vary my veggies. This week we had zucchini, summer squash, turnip greens, string beans, spaghetti squash and salad items . Any time you are having a difficult time eating anything or not being able to include what your diet calls for, sit down with your consultant and have her figure it out for you.. I reached maintenance on the Meta Slim plan and it is a great one. I just remembered another way. I water saute veggies lots and I am a big user of fresh and dried herbs.. By water saute, I mean,put a little water in bottom of pan, infuse with some nice herbs, then put veggies in and water saute them. It is almost like steaming in a way, but the herbs do spruce up the flavor. Good luck.

Patzi

Re: limited exercise. I have never heard one of my friends mention that a consultant thold them that. I have 5 friends that started MRC and finished and went to maintenance. Two did not. One did zumba , one weight lifting, I did walking, and others gym three times a week. That is not saying it is not a fact, but I never heard anyone say that.

As for water, I find I lost more weight if I drank 64 oz. of water a day. I would take it to work with me.. Consultant told me that I could use a decafinated tea, like one of the celestial ones, and I do that, add a HNS in there with it, and sip on it all day. Sometimes, I just take water, but I drink water all day long. Stop drinking at 6PM or I am up all night using bathroom.
Good combo is the blueberry tea with the blue colored HNS.. That is real good. Also flavor water with lemon, some mint leaves ands sweetener and that is refreshing all day long. Tastes like lemonade.

Patzi

Hi,
This is all new to me. I just started MRC five days ago. First three days I had a massive headache. I am not craving anything and everything is going well. I weigh on Tuesday. Since I turned 50, the weight packed on. I weigh 185 lbs and want to get to 142. I have struggled for a while trying to lose. Can anyone give me the key to losing? I started drinking water and I think that helps with the appetite.I go to the gym and do interval training 3 times a week.For the first time, I have cut out caffine,sugar....also trying to eat smaller portions. Please let me know if you have something that hs worked for you,

Dip them in Dijonnaise. That helps a lot. Just don't go crazy. Get just enough on there to flavor them and that's it.

I am on maintenance now, and my suggestion to you is, if you stay on program you will lose. If yiou have a problem , talk to your consultant and
have them work it out for you. As far as eating smaller portions, you need to eat what it tells you on your diet plan. It will tell you how much of protein, fruit, carbs, etc. you are allowed for breakfast , lunch and supper.. MRC will work with you 100%, you will not be all alone on this, and you have this forum. I would not have made it to maintenance without the support of these great people on this forum.. You have made good decisions, gym,omitting caffeine and sugar which are not allowed on the program . The only thing that has worked is complete dedication and wanting to getthe weight off. If you cheat, you do not lose. If for some reason you do get off program, jump right back on and keep going. Everyone makes mistakes. That is the magic of it. I hope I have answered some of your questions. You made the right choice choosing MRC. I want to wish you all the luck, and please ask any questions you have on your new challenge.
Patzi

I had a lot of headaches in the beginning too. I think it has to do with your body going through shock and detox. I even had a sugar crash on my second day that really concerned me, but none since then. I drink a lot of water, but personally, I don't agree that you should drink as much as they tell you...but don't listen to me, I'm just an opinionated skeptic...listen to your counselors. I think if you drink between 64-100oz. that'll be more than enough. I try for 7 bottles of water a day and that is plenty.

I never craved anything either, but after about two weeks, last night was a little hard. I really wanted to go in and get some coffee or a cookie, but I resisted. In some ways it'll get easier as you go along and in some ways it'll get harder. Stick with us here on the board, we'll help you through it all!

What works is following the plan as best you can. You probably will feel crappy for a while, it's your body switching from using carbs for fuel to using fat. It's a big change, both physically and emotionally. Read pasts posts and you will find others have gone through exactly what you are going through. It's not easy, but it's so worth it. just follow the plan, don't second guess and don't obsess. (Spoken by someone who has struggled to do all three!)

You don't want to lose muscle, just fat.