I've been determined to buy as few new clothes as possible until I reach my goal. My body tends to be apple-shaped, and most of my remaining excess fat is around my waist. Pants that still fit me loosely at the waist look like clown pants in the hips and thighs. Monday I actually bought myself a pair of new jeans that fit me perfectly. The coolest thing is that I bought Levis in a size 16P from the regular clothing department at Dillards, not the plus department! It seems incredible to me that I can actually wear a normal size again. I also went into Ann Taylor Loft and found a really cute shirt on the clearance rack in a size medium. Again, this is a store I have never set foot in before. I'm still in shock!

My center called me this past week, and told me about the Black Friday specials that they would be having, and I had to do it.
This is my second go-around. I quit the first time before I could stableize.
Some of the reasons that I used to quit the first time, are still around, so I have to figure out how to deal!
I have been reading the board for the past couple of days, and am really looking forward to gleaning from you all.
Jeanne in Jax

Hooray, Ladystarrider! Isn't that so exciting!?? It's the little things like this that keep me motivated, that's for certain!

BTW, everyone, I signed the 30lb board this morning! I was super-careful all week, and I lost--not 1, but THREE pounds this week. And I even got to indulge myself a little bit yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed my dollop of mashed potatoes, bite of pumpkin bread, and dollop of stuffing. I passed on the dinner rolls, mashed sweet potatoes, pumpkin & apple pies, and cranberry relish, then got my butt out of the kitchen when I started picking at more food while helping to clean up. We also only took home enough leftovers for hubby to have ONE meal, so I wouldn't be tempted to eat all weekend long.

THANK YOU all so much for your encouragement this week. I've been so anxious to sign the 30lb board and break that barrier. I also went ahead and bought the additional 10 weeks today, so that will take me into March and, hopefully, all the way to goal!

I hope everyone else's Thanksgiving Day was as free of stress and disasters as possible. Even little victories are still victories!

Hello..
Congrats Teacher Lady... I weighed in today and gained one pound. No reason.. I stayed on program yesterday when we were at friends, ate only turkey and salad and I had an HNS with me. Ate lunch and breakfast at home.

Not feeling too great about that, but today is another day. It may have been the sodium in the turkey, or they could have basted it with butter, not sure. I did eat only the white meat and I did not overeat.

I signed up for a year of maintenance. I was told today, that maintenance comes after 6 weeks of stabilization. They have me as reaching goal Jan. 7th. I have 12 more pounds to go to reach goal.

Hope everyone has a great evening.

Patzi

That sucks, Patzi. But you are right, you might have ended up with too much sodium yesterday. I made sure that I actually doubled my water intake (to 150 oz, from 75 oz/day), since I couldn't control how much sodium or butter everything was cooked with.

12 lbs by January 7 is doable, though it will be tough with the holiday goodies staring us in the face for the next 40 days. Good luck!

Thank you Teacher Lady. Scale has come down today , and have been drinking gads of water... I had to tell center I was not interested in going on
the program we cannot talk about here. When I was in the last long plateau, they were pushing that, and I said I was not interested. I feel better today, and hopefully Tuesday will be a good weigh in.

So good to have found this site to come to . I can't begin to tell you how
much it does for me.

Hope y'all are having a nice day.

Patzi.

ladystarrider and teacherlady congrats! Didn't fare as well, see my post in "how did you do"! Jeannie welcome, I love this board! Great support, can talk about ups and downs, and feel like your not alone!! ONE DAY AT A TIME!

So, I just made the sugar-free spiced pumpkin flan recipe that I posted in the "Thanksgiving...game plan" thread, and I gave it a quick taste to make sure it didn't suck. Wow! Best. Custard. EVER!

Seriously, I love me some full-sugar & cream flans and I was pretty skeptical of this recipe, but you really can't tell that it's sugar-free (no weird oversweetness or aftertaste)! It's got a wonderful pumpkin pie flavor paired with the texture of custard.

I survived the not-diet-friendly Thanksgiving on Thursday with the in-laws, but my sister had to work Thurs-Sat, so my family is doing Thanksgiving tomorrow--hence, why I made the dessert tonight. Luckily, my sister is also doing MRC--and, unfortunately, my mom is diabetic--so, we're doing a pretty healthy meal tomorrow. My brother still gets mashed potatoes, but I made sugar-free cranberry sauce (just substituted splenda) and this dessert, plus I'm making an MRC-approved stuffing as well as a green bean & cherry tomato dish that I got recipes for from my center yesterday.

Let me know if you want me to repost the spiced pumpkin flan recipe. I think it's only about 84 calories/serving, and NO SUGAR and NO DAIRY!

Bah! I was doing so well!

My family did our Thanksgiving yesterday (sis had to work Thurs-Sun) and I did so well. The only leftovers we brought home was turkey breast... and a slice each of pumpkin pie and pear galette for my husband.

Hubby went to watch football last night with some friends, and I got the munchies (we ate at 3:30pm and I was hungry but didn't want a full meal)... so I ate his pear galette. *sigh* I found myself rationalizing that I would just "have a bite," then wrap it up and put it back. It didn't work. It was too good, and I couldn't put it down. Afterwards, I tried rationalizing to myself that at least it wasn't as bad for me as the pumpkin pie. I finally had to tell myself to stop--that it doesn't matter if it was the better between the two, because those weren't my only options and I made the wrong choice.

When he got home, I told him he either needed to eat the pumpkin pie before the end of the day Monday, or throw it out, as it was too much of a temptation for me. I think he took it to work with him this morning.

What are some things you do to keep from eating more than that 1 bite, or to keep from "sneak" eating? Because, really, I probably wouldn't have eaten any of that if husband had been home--not that I'm blaming him, just saying that most of my poor choices are when no one else is around.

Teacherlady you sound so much like me in that way. I am having a big problem with the BLTS. My son still deserves to have mac n cheese and other things. I hate that I can't just have a small portion of mac n cheese just once in a blue moon. He is only 6 and if he is around and I try to sneak a bite he calls me out on it. So in the end I to sneak eat once he is in another room or in bed. I am having such a hard time with the snacking thing, dinner doesn't keep me full. I was munching on cheese but that got old quick. If only almonds or something was allowed on plan. Sorry so long I am just starting to get frustrated and to eat like this for the next 19 or so weeks seems so unrealistic to me. I also had another weigh in on Friday, day after TG and am down only .5 lb, I am going for another weigh in today.

@teacherlady - so good that you realize where your weaknesses are. I don't depend on my own willpower - I build success into my life. I do what you do and get rid of the temptations. It's the only way I know to keep my broken hunger thermometer in check! It's getting easier, but it will never be easy. So, I would say, no guilt on the pear thing - just look at it as a learning experience and move on.

@ Shadden, it's hard to make peace with the fact that this is life and losing/maintaining won't look very different. Even at goal weight, I don't sneak bites of my kid's food b/c I know it will de-rail me. It's not the taste of mac n cheese, but the mental attitude behind the sneaking that I try to conquer. Why taste it? What will I gain from it? Believe me when I say that I'm far from perfect, but that is one thing that as formerly-obese people, we HAVE to master. I have made peace with the fact that this is my life, now. It's hard to say "no" to tastes and bites of this and that, but it is MUCH harder to be fat, in my opinion. Hang in there and keep challenging yourself - you can do it!

Question: Does anyone know if the grocery store sells meal replacement bars that are very simular in nutrition to the meal replacement bars that MRC sells? Or even something simular to the HNS's that we drink, or the shakes?

Well, I had a pity party in a store dressing room today.

*Backstory* I am going on a cruise in 2 weeks...and I have a dress from 3 years ago that I'm working to fit into for the cruise. And while I was home, I tried it on, and its about an inch from zipping around the ribcage. For some reason, I'm shrinking everywhere but my ribcage. I cried because I wanted so badly to wear that fancy dress on the cruise again.

Today I went to try on dresses to find a formal to wear, and I tried on like 20 dresses and only 1 fit properly. I am not even down a dress size, even though I'm 20+ pounds down. My waist and chest are smaller, but my dumb rib cage makes 14 dresses barely zip. And some 14s were still too small....and I wore a 14/16 before I started MRC.

I feel like I've done all this work, lost 20 pounds and I am still too fat for dept. store dresses. I did find one that I am happy with (and I'm keeping the tags on it until we leave in case I get into the dress I want)...but I am just angry tonight. I'm angry at my body for being so weird in where it loses, I'm mad at the dress designers for making things too clingy and tight, I'm mad at myself for not working harder....just mad.

Sorry to rant, but I knew you ladies would understand, where as no one else in my life knows how this feels right now.

SOme of the Atkins Advantage bars are similar in nutrition to the bars that MRC sells. I like the Dark Chocolate Decadence and the Dark Chocolate Granola Bar.

EAS AdvantEdge shakes are similar to the MRC shakes, as well.

The other HNSs... well, I've had the best success just ordering them in bulk online. I've been ordering through dietdirect.com.

I totally understand how you feel. When I lost 20 lbs, I was so disappointed that I really didn't see much of a difference in my clothing size or anything. My bra was a little looser, and my pants were looser in the butt and waist, but that was about it. Weird, but when I hit about 25 lbs, that's when I really started to see a difference in clothing size. And now that I've hit 30lbs, I am definitely a full size smaller on top and almost 2 sizes smaller on bottom.

Everyone's body is different, and for some reason my upper body (back, ribcage, arms & boobs), too, has always carried more weight and is more stubborn to lose from.

I don't really know what to say to make you feel better, but do keep truckin' along and losing. Pretty soon you will really start to see a big difference.