Hello love.... I'm trying to catch up on the threads as we've all been sick with that darn flu and I just read your post. I'm so very sorry. I can't begin to imagine what you are going through but I want you to know I'm thinking of you. I hope that you are taking time for yourself now that you're husband is on the mend. You need that time. Sending you much love.

Hey Schoon! Good to see/hear from you! Sounds like you have your plan figured out, and I'm happy to see that. Sometimes we need a little set back to get our priorities figured out. I think it reminds us of what we DON'T want also.... It's like, "oh right... that's definitely not how I like to feel, look, etc" and it helps get us refocused. Congrats on getting to that place!

Hi Bobsey.... So you haven't technically starting stabilization then? Can you explain? It sounds like you're saying you're on week 1 or 2 maybe? Also, what are you "breaking" program with. Sorry, need more information here so that maybe I can offer some suggestions. Part of stabilizing is to see if you are being triggered by foods, etc.... it sounds like that maybe what happened to you. Starch is given in the first week so if you were in week 1 when you started to break program, can you give me examples of what you ate that was "on" the program prior to going "off" program?

Hi,

I was suppose to have started my stabilization last week but due to suddenly cheating (alcohol) I did not start. I am wondering is it best to lose the two pounds that I gained first, then start stabilization or just start. Here is the thing, I think that in my mind I am just cheating here and there because I can (like the thought of stabilization is allowing me to break the rules). I can't figure out what I think I am doing. Sorry if I am rambling, just frustrated with myself. So today I am eatting on plan (blue menu) and I think if my weight is back to normal at the end of the week I will start stabilization. But could you give me some ideas of what you introduced for food when you started? I don't want to just eat things that make me go all out. Thanks for your help, everyone on this board has gotten me this far and without it I don't know how I would have done!

Alcohol is tough; with eating off plan, it's some of the highest calories, converts to sugar, all the tough stuff..... So, the weight you gained is going to be mostly just water weight. I would definitely UP the water this week. Do you take the B vitamins? If so, you could do a B flush for a day or two to help with the water retention. And yes, I would probably stay on your blue menu for the week and start fresh again Monday (or whatever the date you think you'd like to start). The reason I would say to stay on your menu for now is because with starting stabilization, you don't want to have anything out there that is already causing cravings when you start adding foods. In this case, starch. For example.... you've had your alcohol which is still metabolizing in your body and causing cravings, water retention, etc.... then you jump into stabilization and let's say you decide your going to have pasta. Maybe pasta ends up being a trigger food for you but you're already having issues because of the alcohol so it's even worse. Or let's say nothing really triggers you but just in adding these extra foods, it causing you to feel like you might be triggered.... or think you're being triggered by something you're not. Does that make sense? The reason they add one food a week is to determine triggers, see how your body reacts, etc....

In terms of what to potentially stay away from? There are several new options that will come to you each new week through stabilization. What I did was look at it at the beginning of the week and decide what I felt would be the healthiest choices. I also stayed away from white flour because for me, it wasn't the direction I wanted to head in.... I wanted to change my life and live in a healthy way that serves my body. Then, there were some things that I just knew I couldn't stay within the range so I stayed away from them....

Just my opinion here, but do you think you could have gotten yourself worked up about stabilization and set yourself up to fail? It sounds like you're overthinking the whole thing. Are you feeling confident in where you are right now? I was really scared to go into stabilization but I just looked at it as one week at a time. After I got that first menu, I realized it wasn't so bad. This is when you really need to utilize the center though because we can all lose weight, it's about keeping it off. Get in there and talk to them.... The other thing that stood out for me in your post, is regarding "breaking rules", stabilization isn't about "breaking rules"; it's about understanding how to make good decisions to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I believe if you are trying to find ways to manipulate the program, all you're really doing is cheating yourself. So, who are you fighting here? I would ask that you look at that and try to understand that this is your body and your life. It's not about cheating, it's about deciding that you're worth it.... every step of the way.

You can do this.

Thanks so much for the advice and when what you said you are right about what I am doing and that it needs to be about making the right choice and not "breaking the rules". This is where I have always got into trouble with my weightloss before and I need to go wi and follow plan. Thanks for the good advice. I am going to go wi now.

You'll do fine. You know what is great? That you are able to acknowledge all of this so quickly; you aren't just continuing down the path of self destruction! So, good job!

Welcome SchoonCR, Good to hear from you, sorry to hear about your "off the wagon" trials, but interested in hearing your progress in getting a grip on things again. I'm just getting to the "real life" part of this adventure.

I've been having problems keeping up with stabilization. I keep my food diary on an Excel spreadsheet and for the first week of Stabilization, I hand wrote what I ate on MRC's form on the back of Week 1. So far, so good. I got a couple of days of Week 2 written in and haven't written on MRC's form since. And the problem I'm having is keeping track of what I should eat when. Their form is GREAT because it has a gray area for where you are eating a new food - problem is, I don't have the sheet with me when I'm planning or preparing food, or I eat that new thing on a different day or something. I still have kept my online spreadsheet up and I meant to transfer the info to their forms this week while we were on vacation but still haven't done it.

I have not exactly been On Program this week either, so my plan now is to repeat Week 5 next week, using their form and trying to stick really close to Week 5 each day, then go on to Week 6. I did bring my Taylor BodyFat BMI Scale with me on vacation and have stayed within a pound of 136 so I'm not reacting too badly to the things I've been adding in. Surprisingly to me, I haven't been craving things either. My husband bought a tube of those Cinnabons you bake in the oven and we made hot chocolate and cooked 3 of them up Wednesday night because we didn't have a fire to sit in front of (we are having a "winter week at the beach" but it's still vacation!). I ate one but have no desire for any more - he ate the other 2 and then baked the final 2 last night and I didn't want them at all - I even washed the white frosting container (which normally I would lick completely clean!) I washed it out so I could use the plastic cup for my handful of vitamins and pills.

Willpower had always been my downfall - I would be so consumed by hunger (or desire) that I could hardly work until I ate whatever it was that was "calling" me. I am really hoping that these months on MRC have broken that cycle and I can eat a little of the "tempters" and leave the rest for another time. If not, I will learn what I just cannot have around the house and not buy it. It's a whole new lease on life.

jeanette

That sounds like a huge step in the right direction...the ability to not be consumed with the desires and cravings. I have my stabilization appt on Tuesday, so hearing from someone in this process is really helpful. I think I'll do okay, but you always wonder a little if you'll stay the course or start veering off somewhere else. Thanks for the post!

Well, It's been almost a month - I signed the Maintenance Agreement on 30 Oct but I did not sign at my original goal weight. I had been striving for 135 lbs but I signed for 140. From 6th grade until I started trying to have kids at age 35, i had weighed about 140, and once I got down to around that weight, the losing slowed down dramatically. If I had signed the MA for 135, I would have been "out of compliance" at 141. By signing at 140, I can go up to 146 and still be OK and not have to 'resign'. So far I have bounced around from 136 (twice) to 141 (once). I want to stay between 135 and 140 and build up some muscles.

I bought some running shoes(New Balance) for better support to walk in and have been going out walking twice a week and trying to increase the frequency as well as the pace and difficulty slowly (so I do not get sore knees or hips or something that might discourage me from walking). I still and doing yoga and aquatic exercise twice a week.

Since getting on maintenance, I have been having a bit of trouble eating enough servings of the different food groups. I still keep a food diary but have altered my Excel spreadsheet to include all the categories then I total up how many servings of each I had each day - I'm not doing very well getting them all in. I am not weighing everything all the time either but I do check occasionally to make sure I'm getting enough of the Protein and not too much of the starch servings.

I had a problem at first snitching on some chocolate I had had before I started MRC. My husband and I usually have one piece of dark chocolate after dinner but then I would go up to my work area and have 3 or 4 more pieces while I was working - something I used to do nightly. I was worried this would continue and get out of hand, but after I had finished a couple of the large bars I had, I have stopped and am able to work the evening without getting any more out, even though there still is more chocolate there. I think I just needed to know I could have some and not gain 10 lbs immediately.

Thanksgiving went well - I made most of the traditional things I usually do, eat 4 ounces of turkey and some of everything else but not a lot - didn't feel stuffed afterward which was nice. Lots of leftovers to enjoy over the next weeks.

Hope everyone had a good Holiday too. jeanette

What is the "B flush"?

There still must be some rules that I don't know about the MRC program. What do you mean that if you gain some weight that you have to "re-sign"?

When you are ready for the year's Maintenance, you sign an agreement that you will not go over 6 pounds over your goal weight. If you do, they want you to sign up again. On maintenance, they want you to come in once a week and weigh in and get counselled which I think is a good idea. If you start gaining, they catch it and discuss it before it gets out of hand. If you skip weeks and gain, then you don't want to go back until you are within that 6 pounds but that is harder to do that it sounds evidently, judging by the number of repeaters here on the forum. Don't worry about this now, hopefully when you get close to your goal, you will be ready for stabilization and maintenance, they'll explain things and you'll do fine. j

I made it! Is there anybody out there that would like to join this thread? I would love to know what is working for everyone.

Oh, so wish I was there with you. CONGRATS!