Hey, everyone! Happy Monday!!!

Just WI and stayed the same as last week so that's good. We also re-did my "after" numbers on the Tanita and took my latest body measurements. Today was a first and my awesome counselor even gave me copies of the numbers. The Tanita actually told me to GAIN a pound of fat!!!! For my height (5' 5") and age (40), they set a target of 25% BF. Today it was down to 24.4%! I wouldn't have even thought that was possible a year ago with all the pregnancy weight on me. She also gave me copies of my body measurements from the time I started in February 2011 to now. It definitely shows the journey and it boggles my mind how far I've come. I just keep thinking, "Is this really me?!" Part of me still sees overweight me in the mirror. I look at the numbers and they say one thing, but mentally, I still have issues. Hopefully, it will come in time.

Oh, the other thing...remember my red dress "after" pic they used in their ads. They want to re-do my "after" shot. The pic was 10 pounds and 10 inches ago.

Jen... In answer to this...Part of me still sees overweight me in the mirror. I look at the numbers and they say one thing, but mentally, I still have issues. Hopefully, it will come in time.

I can so relate to this.. There are times when I feel overweight.. I was trying on a suit jacket and pants for a graduation in May ,jacket size 4, pants size 6, and I still see fat. My husband says that is ridiculous.. He went and brought me an old picture of when I had the weight on and said, I was being silly. But, I have seen pictures of you and you are by no means overweight. I get like that from time to time.. I don't do it too often, but every once in awhile, I get carried away. It will get better .. I have lapses in limited amounts.Did your stomach become flat? I still have a pouch, not bad, but still there, and I do exercise.

Patzi

I dunno, Gal, your logic makes me nervous. You have lost quite a lot of weight, so who am I to judge, but keeping such decadent stuff in the house as a way to prevent yourself from going out for something seems dangerous. I would at least put it in the freezer- although that never really stopped me. I recently found the peppermint bark I had stashed at Christmas and I got into it even though it was literally hard as a rock. After repeated trips to the freezer, I finally threw it out. I've done the same with candy I was sneaking in the car. Literally I pulled over and put it in a trash can. I could go on and on about this battle between me and chocolate. It's incredible how much power chocolate can have over me. It sounds like you are similar and I just don't want to see you kidding yourself about why you have stuff around.

Jen- AWESOME!!!!

Greetings to the group. Everyone that has posted in the past few months helped me have a 3 lb weight loss this morning. Thank you camasua, Patzi, Jen, BigDog, Gala, Rachel, ynapier, faery....and the list goes on...just to name a few of the latest posters! I spent so much of the weekend reading and rereading to stay focused on this journey. I was able to stay on program and for the first time my ketone stick turned to trace this morning. My counselor gave me a big hug and said " See what happens when you follow it". I did ask her if I could have greek yogurt in the evening, she said "Nope, I needed more protein like chicken or tuna to keep me in ketosis throughout the night". I have a total of 13 lb loss now. Now it's time to focus on the next few days to stay on program. Thanks everyone!

Yeah, and they say I always will because of my c-section. Definitely not as bad as it used to be, but still there which I think is what is distorting my perception some. I shouldn't complain though, when I started, my mid-section was 43.75 inches and now it's down to 33.50 inches.

That is fantastic! Also, good info on why no yougert at night. So many rules seem to make no sense, but that one now does. Keep up the good work,,

Can anyone explain to me why MRC wants to see trace amounts of protein? I don't understand it.

What's the reason for not having Greek yogurt in the evening? I dont get it. I substitute it all the time for meat when I don't feel like cooking I think I need to reread the program materials. I actually just saved them to the iPad so I will have at all times. So I can just have greekvyogurt for breakfast or lunch?
Camaswa. Regarding the York chocolate pieces I just thought the calories were so low (50 pieces are 170 cal),so I'm testing myself to see if I can limit myself to 10 pieces a day. It's a little bag . So far so good. I do keep them on the top shelf in the cabinet so I don't see them. If they turn out to be a trigger food I will def not get them again. Trigger foods for me would be Dove chocolate, cheesecake or chocolate fudge ice cream....the good stuff! It is funny that some stuff I really used to like isn't as good now that I am very conscious of carbs and calories. Before joining MRC I was in Walmart one time buying miniature candy bars for my DH and myself and the clerk asked me if I was having a party for my kids. I'm like, no, no kids. Oops

camaswa, no worries there, honestly the husband goes through them at 5 or 6 times the rate I do. My weight gain has never been about a lack of willpower, it has always had to do with my stupid hormones. I can go 1 or 2 weeks completely on program, chugging water, and although not enjoying the diet being very focused, then random out of no where I have a sudden craving for sugar, pop a kiss or 2 and I am good for another week or more. I am sure it is more of a mental thing, but if I feel deprived, like I am not allowed to have something then the stubborn bull-headed part of me demands that I eat it right now. If I say "yeah, it's there, I can have it if I want it, but I shouldn't" then I am fine.

As far as everything else goes, no, i am not going to throw out food, even if it is something I cannot eat. I can freeze it and save it for later, but it has just been ingrained not to waste food. Which is probably how I managed to give myself food poisoning a couple of times in my college days on a shoestring budget. "hey honey, I think the milk went bad", "Nah, it is fine, just don't sniff it and the cheerios will cover up the taste."

Of course at that time I had less than 100 for a monthly grocery budget, but the whole don't throw out good food idea was something I was raised with, and I just can't bring myself to do it now. No, I still have a few cadbury eggs, and although I know they would taste good, I have no overwhelming desire to pounce on them now and inhale them. This weekend I was just feeling like crap and over-medicated and just kind of dazed and I did not even think about what I was eating, it was in front of me, nosh nosh nosh.

I know if I lived alone I would not even have this stuff in the house, and although I am not blaming hubby at all, I am not going to dictate what he can or cannot eat or have. I just have to have more willpower to compensate for what he brings home.

Molly just got on the scale to weigh herself and had pjs and a robe and her wet hair in a towel........and weighing in at night!! No wonder she gained. Lol. I told my DH that three times and he's like. Ok ok ok. So call Molly and tell her. Haha

patzi & jen-I'm the same that I still see the old me in the mirror. That's the reason I put a before and after pic on my fridge...so see that I really do look different. Because I have worked with athletes with eating disorders that began as healthy pursuits to lose weight and then they were continually chasing a lower weight because they didn't see anything new in the mirror...I have felt myself fall into that a bit so have consciously decided to stabilize at this size and weight. I could healthfully go lower, but there will always be a "lower". So I"m staying here. And doing all I can to remind myself that I really do look good, not like what I see in the mirror. Completely honest moment here...the sisters are much smaller than they were 3 years ago when I was 70 lbs heavier and nursing...so I'm self conscious about that...they just don't look as good as they used to.

It's weird not to be chasing a number anymore. After trying to get lower and lower for a year, to not have to do it anymore, it's taking some getting used to and I'm going to have to break myself of that. I guess so long as I stay south of 140, I'm good, but I like to have that built in cushion of wiggle room. As time goes on, it will all work itself out, but I like that idea of posting before and after pics. I'll definitely do that.

Hi,

I visited a MRC center yesterday. I am planning to join today but I want to make sure the cost they quoted me is in line with what everyone else has paid to join. I am going to do two months of the Meta - Medical and one year of maintenance. I was quoted $825.00. Does this sound correct? As I was searching this site I seen people who paid $325 to join.

Thanks so much for any responses

Kim

Kim,

I paid 625, which was for 24 weeks, plus they said it would probably take a bit longer, so another 17 weeks on top of that and a year of maintence. That of course does not count the HNS you have to buy from them, or the vitamins that they ask you to buy from them (I tried some, and once I am out I am not going to get any more). So I what they quoted you does not sound in line with what I paid, but I know it can vary greatly depending on how much you need to lose. Sorry I could not be more help.