Thanks to all that welcomed me back. And congrats to all who have lost this week.

I am so excited about the plan this time...alot more than in the past. And I really love that you can have quinoa and edamame now. I also love the super fruit and veg supplement for the times that I am not prepared.

I am finding that I am super thirsty this time around. Does anyone else experience this? I am drinking my water so I don't know what it could be from.

Me too. I'm planting our lettuce today in the garden and can't wait to see the decline in my grocery bill. I love to garden and am growing just about every veggie on the list and many of the fruits (watermelon, cantelope, straberries and raspberries). I can hardly wait to enjoy my fresh, organic, "free" produce.

Mariah

Welcome back! When I first started out I was pretty dehydrated so when I started drinking water my body craved more and for the first week or so was I was easily drinking 140-160 oz daily. After the first week or two the cravings dissappeared and I drink about 120 oz now (unless it is very hot or I am very active).

Mariah

Question for you ladies:
Does excess salt actually stop weight loss? Or, does it slow it? Or, do you continue to lose but it doesn't show on the scale because you're retaining water? Help!

WI today and down 1 lb for a total of 25 lbs in 60 days. I'm very happy with this. I went out to eat for the first time (other than subway) last night and did very well. We went to Applebees and I had the sirloin, drank ice water with lemon and had them double the broccoli instead of the potatoes. I had my HSN and a slice of toast with cinnamon and Stevia on it when I got home. I may have eaten too much broccoli since I could not weigh it, but am incredibly proud of myself. Yeah me!!

Mariah

It does cause a problem with water retention, but it causes other problems as well. Here is an article from lookcut.com that discusses sodium and weight loss.

Sodium and weight Loss

• Excess sodium intake can increase the mass of white fat cells.
• Excess sodium intake promotes hypertension.
• Height salt intake is associated to metabolic syndrome.

Excess sodium intake plays a key role in weight gain, obesity and your success maintaining weight loss.

Sodium intake and balance acts as a critical control point not only for the systems your body has to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance, but also fat mass. For people interested in weight loss, cutting excess sodium is critical.

New research shows that excess sodium intake promotes excess white fat mass. The higher your salt intake, the fatter you look because the fat cells themselves enlarged. High sodium intake seems to cause fat cells to store more glucose in the cell, making those cells larger.

High sodium intake is also associated with hypertension, and hypertension is also associated closely with obesity. People who are already overweight, risk developing hypertension if they sustain a high salt intake.


Mariah

Mariah..
Congrats on weight loss, and you did a superb job of choices at Applebees. You can be proud of yourself,for sure..

Patzi

Hi...
I am talking from personal experience,but excess salt, when I eat out, bloats me up and I have gained. Even though I order food correctly and
I made good choices and stay on program, many things have salt in them, while marinading, sitting in water, etc.I always ask them to make my meal no salt, but it is hidden there. There are times, I can't get my rings off, and that is only when I eat out.. Next day I drink water constantly. Hope this helps some.

Patzi

Dilemma

Started my new shift today. This has caused me to start having to weigh in after work...which means after I've eaten 2 meals and 50oz+/- of water vs on my old shift I weighed in before I put anything in my mouth in the morning. I had gained 1/2 lb today but I'm thinking it is mostly due to the change in time maybe? Wanting to rationalize this so I dont feel like poop about the gain. Any thoughts??

Susie

Susie - I usually weigh in after work.. around 5pm. I have 'tricked' myself and gone in for a morning WI just to show a better number but I think as long as you keep it consistent, you will be fine. And I always take a change of clothes. I usually wear jeans to work - so I will take workout clothes, even if I don't workout those days. I don't own a scale at home because I'm afraid I would be obsessed with it and weigh every morning and I would get discouraged.

Good Luck!

~C

Things are moving right along!!!!!! Thank goodness. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have diarrhea!!

I was really nervous because I had arterial thrombosis (or deep vein thrombosis) in my small intestine about 12 years ago. It took exploratory surgery for them to discover this and while doing so, I died on the operating room table twice, woke up on a ventilator (scariest thing ever) and spent 2 weeks in ICU. The end result - they removed 2ft of my small intestine. So when I got blocked up, I got real scared.

Thanks to all of you for putting up with me and giving me all the tips. I am going to add benefiber or the MRC fiber to my diet. I really never want to go through this again.

It's WAY past my bedtime but my sister in law was over here checking on me and we were busy crafting. Getting ready for an Arts & Crafts fair is not a fun thing.. especially since this is my first one! Talk about stress!

Congratulations, Mariah!!!!

Great choices at Applebees. I think I've done that before. Sometimes instead of sirloin, I'll ask for plain grilled chicken and they've always come through even though it's not on the menu.

Uggghhhh.

I weighed in yesterday, and I was up 1 lb. I'm pretty sure it's because of the way I ate on Saturday. My husband had a buddy come over to watch a movie with us, and we grilled out (not a problem), and the buddy brought tons of chips and oreos (problem). I had 2 chips and more than a few oreos. Luckily, I was able to stop myself before going completely overboard, but it was still a lot of excess calories (as I discovered when I finally looked at the nutrition info--they're worse for you than girl scout cookies!!!).

Then my sister found out on Sunday that her baby (she's at 22 weeks in her pregnancy) no longer has a heartbeat. I've been mostly OP, but stress snacking since I found out. Especially yesterday, as she was in the hospital all day for an induction, and it wasn't progressing at all. I picked up her boys from daycare (5 & 3 yr old), made them mac & cheese for dinner (ate a couple bites), made my own dinner (texas chili), and then ate some of their May Day candy with them (I only had 1-2 packs of smarties). It wasn't terrible or completely out-of-control, but it was extra calories in the form of fat and carbs.

Sis is still at the hospital this morning--slowly starting to get contractions--and my brother is watching the boys today so I can be at work. I'm going to have to figure out a way to mentally re-commit and be really strictly OP with myself this week and next, or getting to stabilization is going to end up getting dragged out forever. Gah!

I am SO. TIRED. But off to the gym I will go after work today--desperately need to work off the damage from yesterday.

Congrats on your weight loss! Gosh I'm getting the urge to plant a garden! Vegetables are expensive!

Sorry about the weight gain. Hang in there, you have come soooo far.
I'm very sorry about your sister, I will be praying for her!