wurdnerd - Oh man, I live for the protein I feel like it is the only thing that fills me up. On the old menu plan that I have (Meta Slim plan from approx 2008) I get a carb in the morning, fruit with lunch and a carb in the evening.

I hope the consultation goes well.

wurdnerd-I don't know what plans there are now, but I was on the green to start. After two months I realized it was way too restrictive for me to be able to be active so the switched me to the metabalance plan. You get a carb (or fruit) at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and with an HNS at snack time. Plus there is a dairy. I don't have the exact plan in front of me, but I loved that plan best. It was a slower loss, but I totally could "live" and be able to be active. That's the plan that I just picked up again on my own because it works and it's sustainable for me. I actually could eat that way all the time. I had basically maintained that way of eating for about a year or more after losing but then got lax and eventually fell back into fast food and brownies. I like having that structure of a plan and plan on making it a habit. My body will thank me.

The current plan allow a carb (fruit or grain) at all 3 meals, but the portions are just ridiculously small. I'm sorry but 1/4 cup cooked oatmeal is not a serving, it's a couple of bites!

I feel like the plan is so terribly unbalanced... more than 60% protein and minor amounts of carb/fat. I can't increase fat very much (no gallbladder) so that just leaves carb to play with. The guy I'm seeing today is a physical trainer, so hopefully he will have some good suggestions. All the ladies at the center are nutso, so I won't talk to them anymore.

wurdnerd - I guess it is easier for me to limit carbs. My body doesn't seem to like carbs (or gluten....not exactly sure which yet). I can gain double digit pounds overnight from eating off plan. I realize that this is mostly water retention, but still an indicator to me that my body doesn't like it. I know I will have to limit my carbs/gluten forever.

If your body needs carbs, however, I think you are smart to find a plan that incorporates them. I am still learning about nutrition/diet etc. so definitely NOT an expert here - just throwing ideas out there. Would calorie counting be a better option? Would just getting rid of the reactionary "eat as much as I can and start new tomorrow" thing get you back on track to where you want to go? Just some ideas I hope your meeting goes well today and keep us posted. I am interested to see if they are willing/able to modify the plan to meet the customer, or not....

I am having a good week so far. I am going to a movie tonight and my inlaws are coming for the weekend for my husband's birthday. I know I can stay strong because I have to give two talks at a conference on Monday. I bought a new outfit just for the conference and want it to look good! Plus, 0.2 more pounds and I start my 10 (or 15) countdown to goal.

Everyone have a great weekend!!!

Success! Got a new menu and was somehow down 1 lb since my last visit several weeks ago. I'll take it.

The new plan - Metabolic More Balance - has 3 meals and 3 snacks. Overall, the meals are about the same as the other plan, but the protein portions are smaller and I get more carb servings... plus 2 dairy/fat servings. This is totally doable. I'm very psyched.

selway... I never really had a problem with binging, just poor food choices. Too much sugar, too many processed foods. My eating is very chaotic with some meals being the picture of health and others more like those a poor college student or a teenager. I think having a plan that is balanced will definitely help me.

wurdnerd-That sound very much like the metabalance plan they put me on when I was feeling way too restricted and irritable (yes, 1/4 c cooked oatmeal is not sufficient, at least for me it wasn't). I hope it works well for you. I loved it and am basically following that plan on my own now.

One of the big benefits when I am consistent about eating healthy is other areas of my life seem to come into better balance. I do a better job of managing money. My time is more well spent. And I think it all is a function of being mindful about my choices regarding food, activity, time, money...just everything versus being on auto pilot and wasting time and eating mindlessly.

Tomorrow is my first big challenge since getting back on the program...DD's 9th bday. We start the day with a family breakfast (yes, cupcakes are served at breakfast, family tradition). Evening is a friend PJ party...which just reminded me I need to still prepare more food for that. I bought most of the goodies already made since one of my big mindless eating times is when I'm preparing baked goods. And since store bought is never as good to me it's easier to say "no." I seldom have that kind of food around the house even if I"m in a "who cares" phase so it will be a big treat day for the kids.

Heading to the gym...I've had some lower extremity injuries which was limiting my physical activity (the biggest reason for my weight regain) so I've been trying to be diligent about doing the correct exercises to get back to an activity level that feels good to me.

Weighed in today and was down 2 pounds since last Friday! Yay!

Not sure if this will help anyone else, but something I'm trying this time around is changing my mindset. When I did this before, I put too much pressure on myself. I would go into the center and say I was ready and I was gonna kick butt and then when I fell off plan, I guilt tripped myself like nobody's business. This time around I've told myself that I'm just gonna keep trying. I'm not gonna be perfect, but just do my best to keep moving forward. That lack of pressure has made all the difference in the world for me. Now that I'm not trying to be "perfect", it seems a little easier. If I've learned anything, losing weight (for me at least) seems to be much more of a mental issue than a physical issue.

I agree with JenB...get rid of the guilt and pressure for perfection. The first time around I never went off plan. Ever. Not Thanksgiving. Not Christmas. Not super bowl. But that led to some bad things. Avoiding social situations if there was food. Being afraid of food. And ultimately when I did make a bit of peace with myself and allowed for more foods I fell off the wagon because I had not given myself the opportunity to learn the skill of negotiating "life."

So this time around I'm much kinder to myself. Yes, I know to succeed I need to stay on plan a majority of the time. But if and when I do get off track, there are a few strategies I've been working on. Probably more to follow.

1) Look at food choices and actions like an impartial researcher/questioner and not a judge. This has taken me a while and still struggle with it. But if I judge and guilt myself I am likely to binge or have it affect other areas of my life. As an impartial researcher I can ask "hmmm...why did I chose to eat brownies and candy last night when I had stayed on plan all day?" It may have been that I was actually hungry even when I had eaten all my allowed food (this wasn't the case, but if it was the lesson for next time is when I'm hungry, allow myself to eat another "snack meal" that is made up of foods on plan). It may have been out of stress. Boredom. Mindlessness. Social pressure. Whatever the situation, identify it impartially, no judgement, and figure out if that comes up again if there is a different strategy to use. Having a plan helps.

2) Have a "standard breakfast". Not that it has to be what I eat every day for breakfast, but in general mornings have to be auto pilot for me. And it really does set the tone for the rest of my meals. If I don't eat breakfast I tend to overeat with poor food choices later. If I eat a nutritionally crap food, I tend to continue that through the day. And today, after off plan last when cleaning up after having 13 kids over for a party (hello, mindless eating), my "go to" breakfast is what I returned to. I wasn't craving it. Eating didn't even sound good. But I knew if I didn't eat that by lunch I'd be so hungry and not want to cook and likely to hit a drive through. I made my go to breakfast on autopilot and it brought me back to my healthy place.

Excellent posts! I'm trying to wrap my head around why I continue to sabatage myself. I'm reading the Beck books on cognitive behavior. The counsellors I've had are so awful, promoting all those pills and offering no good advice or motivation. It's all about what they can sell you. Sad really because through this program I lost 35 lbs just on the diet plan w no supplements. Taught me that protein works w my body better than carbs and kept me from getting hungry. Love the protein shakes!
With that said, I'm joining Weight Watchers tomorrow since MRC doesn't seem to work anymore for me. I need the meetings, the sharing and want to get back to healthy eating. My friend lost 56 lbs recently slowly but surely.
I'm at a point where I need a variety and change.
Hopefully I'll be successful and will definitely keep eating more protein and will continue posting here. You ladies are so motivating and I really appreciate all your shares!

Definitely keep posting, bigdog! I think there are different plans and strategies that work for people. Accountability and support is huge, and if you aren't getting it at your center it is good for you to seek support elsewhere.

Weighed in today and lost 2.6 pounds since Friday.

I have NO clue how.

JenB72 - WOW!!! Great job!

Bigdog - good luck with Weight Watchers and I'm glad you will keep posting!

wurdnerd - how are you liking your new program/menu?

nwcgina - great tips, thank you. Especially the breakfast tip. It seem like, in the past, if breakfast was bad (McDonald's, doughnuts, only coffee, etc.) it framed the rest of the day's eating habits. Having some easy breakfasts for crazy days (hard boiled eggs, sliced cheese, protein shake, whatever) will help me in the future.

I'm having a good week so far - but back at my plateau weight that I just can't seem to get below. 166.....Ugh. Oh well, I'll keep working it. I had my conference today and my new outfit fit well and gave me extra confidence for my presentations, so I am happy with that.

Have a great day!

OK, I went ahead and joined a center for 9 weeks. I am determined to get this weight off before January 1 and maybe answering to a center will help me. The last time I did the program it was over the phone, so this is definitely different. So far, so good. Salesgirl was not pushy at all! I go back tomorrow to get the new plan. It will be either the Meat Lovers or the Metabolic More (or whatever it is called). She is going to have me look at the menus and see which one would work best for me. I'm excited.

I hope everyone is having a good night. I know I was the last one that posted on here, but I couldn't wait to tell someone and I really don't tell anyone else that I'm dieting! Thanks for "listening"!

Hi Everyone,

I'm jumping back in to this group. Like several of you, I joined MRC a few years ago, had great success at losing, but not at maintaining. 150 is my hard red line and I have managed to get down to 140 several times, only to creep back up.

I eat fairly healthy, love veggies, and am very physically active. So you would think I would not have a weight issue, but I do. Anyway, I have not been dieting for 6 months and the mental break is just what I needed. I just finished a 3 week bike trip averaging 40 miles a day, didn't lose any weight, but am much more toned .

So, now I am ready to focus on weight loss. My goal is to lose 25 lbs and keep it off. I tried the new MRC plan last year, but for me, I do best on the original green menu. I'm on day 4 today, can't remember if it is the yellow or blue menu-cheese is the protein for both breakfast and lunch- I have the menus memorized. Tomorrow I switch to the next menu. I'm off to a great start. I look forward to sharing the ups and downs, and highs and lows with all of you. We're in this together!

Wishing you all a great "On Plan" day

Weigh in today and I'm down 7 lbs! Couldn't believe and got on the scale twice!
I'm still drinking my protein shake in the am and eating similar stuff that's on MRC but the difference is the tracking that WW provides online.
I did buy a bunch of the little WW TV dinners ($2 each!)for my first week to have for lunch or occasional dinner if DH is working and the portion sizes are tiny but just enough. Most are 21 G protein and less than 300 cal. I fix a salad w all my meals L and D. Been eating homemade chicken veggie soup for meals too.
We put on an event yesterday and had brownies, cookies, etc and I had one mini pecan cookie and that was it!! In 6 hours! 2 points!! Knew I had to track it. Little did I know that those little Heath Bars snack size were 7 points for 3.
They seemed so innocent.
Way to go Jen on your loss!!
Selway- I loved the meat lovers diet but choose what works best for you. I'd love to be in the 160's again! Glad you have a good counselor- that makes all the difference in the world.
Good luck everyone and keep sharing!