On the MRC plan, 1/2 oz. nuts + 4 oz. protein allowed 1x per day.
So, if you have nuts, you have to reduce the amount of protein by 2 ozs. for that meal.

It's really a matter of taste - I like sharp cheeses (especially Sharp White & Yellow Cheddar). Make sure it's hard cheese - not shredded.

It has to be "hard" cheese. From what I've read, this includes Parmesan, Asiago, Gouda, and certain aged cheddars. Also, you're only allowed to have cheese 1x a day.

For the green menu, it's 2 oz. protein + 1/2 oz. nuts.

Still trying to catch up on all the posts here. I plan on trying to get back on program in the next couple of days. I talked to my doctor today and he said it is an ovarian dermoid (cyst), but it's a complex cyst so it won't go away on its own. I can have it removed or I can do nothing. Since I will have to pay for the whole thing on my own (it will go towards my deductible) I may just wait. The excessive bleeding is b/c of endometrial polyps and the pain could be from that or the cyst or both. UGH..I may just try to suffer through for a while and see. They said they'll do another sonogram in 6 months to make sure the cyst hasn't grown. I'm waiting to hear how much the procedure costs and that will be a big deciding factor.

In the meantime I've gained some weight back (more than I'd like to admit at this point), but am really trying to get back into the swing of things. I (like bigdog said) let this be my excuse to eat whatever I wanted and not concentrate on being good and eating well. I need to get back to that. It's amazing how I can be totally in the zone and then completely off track. I really need to figure that out b/c that's why I've lost and gained this weight over and over. I'm still down, but not near as much as I was. It's very frustrating.

I hope you all are doing great!

My center told me that any cheese that could be grated would be considered "hard" cheese. BUT--pre-grated cheese probably isn't a good idea because it has some sort of stuff on it that makes it not stick together. I question mozzarella though, it can be grated, but it's pretty soft, so I don't know for sure. I usually stick to cheddar.

Hey...

Went to WI today and GAINED 1.5 pounds! Granted, I did allow myself a small piece of SF chocolate marshmallow candy and it is TOM... and, I weighed in a few hours later than I normally do, but I am really bummed about this. I think it's messing with my mind and I had a "forget it" moment and had a few of my daughter's french fries at lunch.

Anyway, I'm hoping the gain has been due to stress (sick kiddos and my neice going through the death of a classmate), so hopefully we'll get back on track. Just feeling blech today...

Ever have one of those? I'm needing some Zumba! Stat!

Perfect! Thank you!!

I have been waiting since 0900 for my ICU patient to come out of the OR and it a little past 3! I have been reading the recipes and I now see a light at the end of the tunnel!! So glad to have found that!

home alone too - DH worked doubleshift and now cking in on his parents...i was very tempted to have one of my favorite dinners before MRC. when i tell you what my dinner used to be when my DH worked late, you will know how i gained 30 lbs very quickly~ microwave butter popcorn (the whole bag) with dark chocolate chips and dry roasted peanuts thrown in!! i had myself believing it was fiber and protein... REALLY???

Brandi - take it one day at a time..you will lose on this plan. track everything you eat and drink. some of us use the forms they gave us to check off (works the best) great to put them in a notebook to refer to and show your counselor so they can make sure you are doing everything right to lose. i switched to online tracking (myfitnesspal) just becuz i like to use my blackberry on the road or iPad... plus helps me to preplan. for example if i'm going to Applebees and plug in what i was planning on eating YIKES!!!! i change my plan or eat 1/4 of it! :-) in the beginning though, it's better to use their tracking sheets till you learn the program. when you are weighing in, VERY IMPORTANT go as early as you can and if you don't eat the morning of or drink anything it's even better. wear the lightest clothes you can. i kept my "light" clothes in the car and changed when i got there to weigh in. it makes a big difference - i hated when i was on plan and then because i had forgotten and drank a lot before weigh in or had heavy clothes on it would register a gain or no loss. very disappointing. i promise you this plan works!!

By the way, my dinner tonight ended up being Salad with lean flank steak and fresh pink grapefruit all mixed in w/ ginger dressing....yum!!

Thanks about the nuts. That one is not worth it to me.

hey Rocki!

you'll get it off in no time - the good thing is now you know what to do and how to lose successfully. i'm sure with what you are going through, there are probably some hormone issues and weight gain from that. dont you love being a woman? :-) fantastic news that it's a cyst!! i think you need to celebrate by making some turkey muffins, fix yourself a double order of Chocolate Truffle protein shake and do a happy dance to celebrate that good news!! dancing counts as activity!

i like the sharpest stinkiest cheese made! :-) i also love haberno and jalepeno cheese - spice rules!

hahahahah, i was wondering what you were talking about :-)

bigdog-I love your home alone supper...sounds similar to the things I would have eaten previously...that or going to BK with the kids so they could play on the playground and I'd bet a big, fatty burger. That would probably make me really sick if I tried to eat it now!

I had a killer workout today. I've slowly been adding in more exercise and my plan was to do about 20 min cardio, 20 strength. Got 10 on elliptical then 20 of hard lifting then decided it was so nice (about 40 degees) that I'd do my last 15 minutes of cardio running outside. So I took off from campus where I've never run...and kinda got lost. I was running around the yard of a nursing home trying to find my way back (I was sure they were going to call the cops on me). I finally had to backtrack to find my way back. so my run doubled in time, which is good for calorie burn...but now I'm starving. I'm almost tempted to enter my calories/exercise in MFP just to see what the calorie deficit was, but that will just make me more hungry. i'm to the point of feeling sick, so I had some SF jello and going to rehydrate and just paint my nails and watch Glee (so not my typical night, I'm almost always doing something-working or grading or cleaning or reading/journaling). My body is definitely not ready (calorie wise) to take on 60 minutes of full blown activity. Mentally I'm ready!!

Happy to help. My biggest piece of advice is to plan, plan, plan. Pack your breakfast and lunch the night before (just like when we were kids) and put it in the fridge. Then all you have to do is grab your bag out of the fridge before leaving for work. Throw and ice pack or two in before leaving if you don't have access to a fridge. All your foods are already measured out and that helps to make for a less stressful day.

FYI added some great value blueberry drink mix (1/4 of packet for about 8 calories) to my greek yogurt and frozen blueberries and blended it. Wow delicious!