Thanks you guys for your advice! Okay so since then I have been on track and lost that weight plus some yay! Total of 15 lbs. It could have been more without all those cheats but its okay trying not to beat myself up. Its just been SO slow this time around. 1-2 pounds a week or some weeks nothing. I have decided to start really exercising. 45 fast walks or elipitcal. The center told me not to exercise which I thought was wierd. I am on the meta more not the HCG. For bdays I have already picked restruants and scoped out the menu. I will have cake (it is my absolute favorite) one night take the carb blockers and have a tiny slice. The other night I will drink but only 2 glasses and have a crap load of water lol like you all suggested! Love this board, wish it was more active as the support is so helpful.

I love the tip someone gave about wearing tight clothes out to eat haha! I am totally doing that Friday night so I will feel full faster lol.

Long time, no see! Lots of horrible health issues with friends and family lately, so I've been super-preoccupied. Plus, yesterday was my husband's birthday. His mom had brought 4 mini-cakes AND dessert bars. He took them to work so I wouldn't be tempted :) Whew!
My weight has stayed the same, but that's okay. I'm 10 pounds UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight, so (for now) I'm calling it good. Mom's at 49.5 pounds lost, and we're both going into transition. We're both in size 10; she started as a size 18/20 and I started as a 14. She could really stand to go to a size 8, but she likes her clothes a bit looser.
For those in maintenance, how long did it take to start liking your new body? I feel like I will always be shooting at a moving target. I love being a size 10, but now that I'm here, I starting dreaming of size 8 :(

Ashley, I started loving my body when I could wear tight clothes again, and no tunics to cover the belly and rear fat. I made up my mind at a goal, and I
went 5 pounds under the goal to give me wiggle room, and I am so thankful I did that, as it was a good thing for me. If you are dreaming of a size 8, go back to the green menu for awhile and stay on program and if you start to lose it will give you the incentive, but if you are happy where you are and eating is not a problem, I would stay there.I would not think you have to lose much to go from a 10-8, but not sure. I will tell you, I would never have made it to maintenance without this forum, as I was on here lots, and had some rough moments, as I was a very slow loser, but thank goodness I made it. Just do what makes you feel comfortable..

Patzi

Hello everyone!
I'm at a standstill- haven't gained but haven't lost either. Need some motivation!
I need to start tracking- I've stopped doing that and have been adding a little bit here and there and know that will mess up my weight loss goals.
Sooooo- tomorrow or I guess today is a brand new day.!!
Def planning on stepping up the activity and hiding all the temptations that my DH has bought in the house!!! He has freaking chocolate bars, cookies all over :(
Seriously I feel like throwing it all away!!! Then the idiot bought those frozen cookies from one of his coworkers --then if I do slip and eat the crap- he makes a comment that he thought I couldn't eat that!!
Sorry for the rant but that is why I have to pay to join MRC just to have them weigh me each week to hold me accountable!!
I just need to be strong :). Maybe I'll draw red Xs on his junk food ?? :)

One thing Big Dog is you need to journal every thing that goes in your mouth, food and liquid and bring that journal in with you each week. What I did with my husband is, I gave him a place in the house to keep his goodies,so that they were not with the rest of the food and sat down and tried to explain what it was costing me $ wise and what it was costing me emotionally to see all that food and not eat it. It worked, but I had to keep reminding for a time.
We have a hallway closet and everything went in there, and that was a closet I hardly went into. Then we have two refrigerators, one in kitchen and one in garage. The one in garage I put all the refrigerated stuff and frozen stuff that was his, and I had to make that work.. When daughter came, told her where all the "stuff" was and to please not eat it in front of me. There comes a time when dieting, that it has to be about you , and that was why I always failed, it was never about me until I made up my mind when I joined MRC. When we gave a party or barbecue,and living in south you know that is lots,
I gave guests food I would not eat to take home,like chips, dips, macaroni salads, etc. Stuff I did not eat was all sent home. Also, I have a friend that
was always willing to take food home.

It can be done, easily not at all. I had some real depressed crying jags while losing, but there is always a new day.

I know you want to make it, so see if you can have hubby work with you this time. If he won't try to figure out a way to do something with food so that you do not see it.

You will find the strength, it is there, and if you weaken come back here. I wish this board was more active, but for some reason, it is not. I have never seen it with so few people on.

My challenge for Thanksgiving is making a Key Lime Pie for a friend who has been begging me for one. I won't eat any, no tasting, and for sure, it is a difficult challenge. Also making a Pumpking pie for hubby which I have done each year. We are invited to family, and other challenge is bringing food I will eat, however at maintenance, I will have small amounts of food I do not eat on daily basis and not feel guilty about it. You will get to that point.

Patzi

Thanks Patzi as always for good advice. Do u track using fitness pro or the paper journal? I also need to get some protein bars low cal, no sugar from diet direct. Those really help when my DH is eating his treats - then if I'm really craving chocolate, even a bite satisfies :)
I was excited yesterday when my Liz Claiborne jeans fit and was even a little loose ;). Was out last night wearing another pair of jeans that were super tight and could only eat 1/2 of dinner :). Def works!!
Have a fun day Sunday!!

I use a paper journal..I go to the Dollar store and get one that is real festive .
I love animals and flowers, so I make sure the front cover is appealing.. I use that every day , even when I am away.. I use Fitness Pal, but not consistent with it. When I started MRC, I made a promise to myself to learn to say no. Gosh is that hard, but that is the only way I made it to maintenance..I have actually left a situation with wrong foods, got in my car and drove around a bit until I could stop feeling sorry for myself, went back to the occasion and did not cheat.. Feeling sorry for myself or saying, just this little bit won't hurt, is what kept me fat for so long. It does not work. That is my story and it worked..

Hang in there, and just be strong and eat on program if you can. I know you want to lose weight and get to maintenance.. The jeggings are great, that was a treat when I could fit into those and look decent.

Patzi

I've been struggling with staying on plan and working out. Things at work have been very hectic I have 5 new temps I've been trying to train they are different from other groups I've had and very needy. Hopefully this week will be better. Have my bag packed for the gym tomorrow morning and my food prepped for the week. I am taking a couple days off at the end of the week that will definitely help.

Good idea, Patzi. I like Fitness pro but I don't seem to keep up w it. The full sheet journal is too big and loose pages. A little journal would be perfect to carry in my pocketbook. I could fold a copy of the food plan and keep that inside as a reference. Then I could record my weight in there each week and measurements even though my coach doesn't do measurements or tell me body fat.
I ask her each week for some tips and suggestions and she just tells me stick to the plan but don't eat any carbs but veggies and limited fruit. Said to use Walden Farms 0 cal dressings- bleah! Said not to use the allowed fat calories like olive oil once a day. How is that sticking to the plan if she eliminated two things the plan tells me I can have? :)
I guess she's trying to help me lose faster....
She does recommend 30 min of exercise daily which I agree with :)

You are doing your best,sometimes stress can play havoc.. You have your food prepped, etc and that is a good thing and your exercise is in focus. Wishing you a great weight loss week and a less stressful one..

Patzi

I'm prepping tonight also for the week. Boiling eggs, cutting up pink grapefruit (I slice like an orange and add stevia and cinnamon), baking chicken tenders (using low carb Szechuan and terayki), chopping up Romaine lettuce and putting in ziplock bag. I buy the bags of chopped cabbage, kale, etc to add to romaine. I use either a low carb raspberry vinegarette or Chipolte ranch and sometimes add a TB of cracked pepper sliced almonds (Almond Accents).
Sometimes add strawberries or grapefruit or mandarin oranges to salads.
I have to be at work early so I take my 2 boiled eggs and grapefruit or strawberries to work and eat them there. I drink a bottle of water on the way to work, throughout the day all day! And a bottle on my commute home. We always have a case of water in our frig at work and at home.
I mix my HNS (Protidiet pink lemonade) in a huge sport bottle or the Metab. Grapefruit, wild berry or lemon. I still use the Syntrax vanilla bean and put frozen strawberries in it blended.
I bought some cottage cheese, low fat cheese. Celery, light n fit Greek yogurt (12 G protein) so should be all set :)
Good luck everyone- stick to the plan- check Pinterest for recipes and Emetabolic.com has good recipes too! Goal is to lose 2 lbs this week!! Let's do this!

For everyone on the MRC Weight loss challenge, want to share this with you. One of my friends who hit maintenance when I did, sent her daughter to MRC and today she hit maintenance , losing 78 pounds... She looks fantastic. She sent me a picture of her in jeans, a belt and a nice tee.. She has not worn a belt for over 10 years due to her weight.. So you see, ladies,it can be done. I thought this would give people hope that may be struggling some.

Patzi

I had maintenance weigh in this morning and I have lost 5 pounds of 7 pounds I gained while away. Two more to go,and I will be where I was. I am still under goal, so that is a plus.

Patzi

That's fantastic Patzi
Thanks for sharing!
I made a low fat chopped sirloin meatloaf last night in my Amazing Meat loaf pan. It's sold on Infomercials but found one in the store. All the fat goes to bottom of pan and the meatloaf lifts out. It was so good! I added a can of hot Rotel tomatoes w haberneros, and chopped green onions, handful crushed garlic croutons. Topped w some of the Rotel and ketchup. Served w a big salad w romaine, and chopped Dole mix :) splash of Raspberry Vinegarette.
My DH loved it!
My pants are getting looser and I have to watch when I sit down because they are sliding down!! Lol. Just say NO to crack! :
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