That's a good idea. I was just at Walmart and I forgot to pick one of those up.

The lady at the center told me to drink 80oz rather than the 64 if I wanted to loose faster, anyone else heard of this???

Also what in the world do you all do when you get the munchies?

@tripletmom-I do lose better if I drink 80 oz per day (they didn't tell me that, I found it on my own)...some days I drink 100, some days 80, occasionally 64. When I'm hungry but it's not time to eat I find that hot tea helps with my hunger. If my mouth just needs to be busy, sugar free gum helps.

re: the discussion on whether to reward yourself with food...I think some people (like Tami) can do it and it helps them make it through. Part of my problem pre-MRC is I would a great and healthy eating plan that would help me lose if I stuck with it, but would tell myself I could have one cheat meal a week...and it would quickly turn into more than that even though I couldn't see that. So for me I knew I had to go no cheat meals. No cheat snacks. Now that I'm stabilizing, once I hit maintenance I'll be able to see how often I can have a meal that's on the less healthy side...and that is going to vary with everyone.

Thanks for the workout recommendations. I will definitely try them out.

I reward with food but I also emotional eat so I need to be careful to separate the two. For instance, just because I had a stressful week that does not mean that I can order a pizza and go to town. BUT if I know I have an event like a holiday or a wedding coming up where I can make a rational decision to eat off plan it helps keep me motivated. I try to limit the OP moments to once a month or less.

Today I went off plan. I was an emotional eater. My 6 mos little one didn't gain any weight between his 4 mos check up to now. It has me all stressed out. Plus he is teething, my house is a wreck, I think my husband has PMS, and the sky is falling. Okay overly dramatic but that's how I felt this morning. After a long night up with the kiddo and then an early morning my husband asked if I wanted drive thru breakfast. My emotional eating won on that account. I limited myself to one small sandwich and water so that was good. Then later in the day friends asked me to coffee. We were all coworkers who got laid off together. They were going on about all of the opportunities they were pursuing and how former colleagues were recommending them for jobs etc... I have been wait listed for a masters program and didn't tell anyone because I was expecting to be accepted so I am embarrassed. Now i have yo wait to see if i can get in through the waitlist. I feel a bit like my life is in a holding pattern. It upset me that I wasn't getting all if these job recommendations and made me feel like I wasn't as valued as others. I decided to emotional eat again. Mexican food. Tomorrow is another day. Sorry for the rant.

susie-I totally get the emotional eating. Sounds like you have a lot of things yesterday to trigger it...and number one for me is always sleep. When the kids have been up or I'm stressed about their health, I want to eat. Because I've been good about staying on plan at least now when I eat emotionally it has been a piece of melba toast or cheese I find a diet soda sometimes gets me through...and just reminding myself that food doesn't fix the problem. That's my biggest fear now that I'm stabilizing and soon on to maintenace...that my emotional food monster will rear it's head. Hoping I've learned some things along the way. Like you said, today is a new day!! And I like what you said about separating treat meals from emotional justification. That's what I was never good at so that's why I haven't had treat meals (I like to call them treat instead of cheat...cheating gives food a "bad" connotation, whereas a treat recognizes that all food can be okay in the right amounts and it is planned whereas a "cheat" I may be more likely to get a pizza on the whim of a hard day).

Katy, maybe this will help. You can still do Mexican and stay OP. Here's what my Restaurant Guide I received from my MRC center says about Mexican Food and eating out.
Believe me, I'm the queen of chips and it's no fun not eating them. Love, love, love them! But they also helped to land me at 220 pounds.

Just remember, when you cheat, it interrupts the fat burn that you are in when you are OP. Not to mention, and these were 2 big things for me and I had to learn them the hard way: 1) it ends up taking much longer to get to goal. Every time you cheat, it takes about 3 days to get your body back into fat burning mode...and 2) all those cheats and 3 day delays to get back into fat burning mode end up costing you money in extra program time to get to your goal. In today's economy, that's a big deal to some people.

Good luck and I hope this helps some. You CAN do this!!!

Triplemom8

If you are getting munchies, tell center, they will adjust your diet so this does not happen..I have had cravings during my weight loss challenge, and center always restructured my diet and it worked. Bring in your journal to them.

I understand each person has their way of doing this diet, but I keep saying, if you make a habit of cheating while losing weight, it may work for you, but you will have a heck of a time when you hit maintenance.. I have two friends now, that made MRC their own diet, and cheated when they wanted, and they have both failed maintenance.They lost weight very slowly due to cheating, but it backfired. By staying on program, it disciplines you of what got you to the program in the first place.. However, if one feels that they want to cheat, and it is good for them, well, then that is their choice, and that is great..Each person is different. But I am just stating from what I have seen with friends and people weighing in at the center.. I have been told over and over again by consultant, you can get away with cheatng while on program at times, but it will catch up to you on maintenance as you have lost the course of bad habits. Hope this makes sense and hope this will make some make better choices.. Please don't think I am telling anyone what is right and what is wrong, as I am not, just giving you my opinion, which may not work for you. Just don't want any newcomers to get the wrong idea of it is ok to cheat, as aMRC says it is not, but no one is a poster child for MRC, so it is a personal decision how one does this program. It is not easy, I will be the first one to tell you this, but it is sooooo worth it.


Another suggestion on a restaurant ... Call before going and tell them you are on special diet and ask them what they can do for you.. I have done this over and over again.. I have never stopped myself from going to a restaurant, just made best choices I could.

I am worried about Cani.. She had so much on her plate and was doing so well on her diet.. Hope she is ok.

I am so reluctant to send this message, but I will send it anyway.

Patzi

Baked oatmeal... maintenance recipe

Tami, I know you liked this recipe I posted, wanted to let you know what I used in this last batch made last night

Mashed banana
blueberries
just a few fresh raspberries to give it some nice color
Anise spice
almond extract
chopped walnuts

It was very good.

Patzi

I think the 3 day setback would all depend on what you choose to eat during an off program "treat." I still lost weight each week...never gained while OP.

I agree that my losses weren't fast...1-2lbs per week rather than 3-5lbs...making my progress a bit slower, but worth it to me in the long run because I didn't give up from being soooo structured 24/7.

Again, it is individual...and the cost of additional weeks isn't fun....but I never had to buy more, either. There are many opportunities to receive free weeks OP throughout your journey, so take advantage of those! You can always "bank" the weeks you don't use and add them to Maintenance later!!

I did do things different sometimes...we "tweeked" my personal program to work for Tami...and it did work. I have lost 52lbs. and couldn't be more happy about that. Just like you go to your counselor for guidance on what to do when you are hungry OP...not everyone is hungry OP...that guidance would be unique for you, and that is OK. The goal is to make this program work for everyone and quites simply, we are all different.

A "real" lifestyle change for me that I can wrap my arms around is one that allows me to live a bit and be human at times. Pizza isn't out of my menu options, but it isn't something I eat everyday.

I do feel a little bit like I am defending myself here...and certainly don't need to. I just read these posts from some that sound a lot like where I have been and need them to know that this program isn't black or white. They do work with individual clients, which is what makes MRC a success. Good luck!

Thank you for the recipe, Patzi! I LOVE it!!

Hang in there ladies...work the program, because it does work!

Jen and Patzi, I know y'all are right - believe me I do. Its ridiculously sad that I am this addicted to food, but if I think that I won't have chips until June, I may kind of freak. . Sad but true. Anyway. I am hoping that I am strong enough when it comes to it that I will be resolved to stay op. but for me of I take it out of my head at this point I may just quit.
I'm sorry to have started all this controversy. I just want some chips people! Hee hee

You just need to think of alternatives. Find your 40-50 calorie tortilla, or chop an 80-100 calorie one in half. cut into chip sized bits, brush with olive oil and bake until crispy. Then make some tiny nachoes with ground turkey, taco seasoning, a little cheese, and go nuts on the fresh veggies like lettuce and tomato.

There are alternatives, you just have to thing creatively.

And if you have to have a chip, as in "I will absolutely, posotively drop dead without this chip" just realize there will be consequences and try to limit yourself. Say, ok, I can have that chip, heck, I can have 3 or 4 chips, but try to look for better options (baked lays anyone?). Just don't eat out of the bag and realize it will slow you down.

Everything works different for different people. Honestly my first week I cheated, but since the weight has started comming off this well I have no desire to. I want to hurry it up and leave so that I can relax and not have to eat so much meat. Do what you can, and do what works for you. If it takes you a bit longer becuase you have to have a chip once a week or so, that is fine. You have to be flexible or you will never make it through.

Another good one that my center was suggested was similar. I would cut the toritilla into chip sizes, spray with 0 calorie butter, and then sprinkle a packet of Splenda and Cinnamon on it. Bake and you have a great dessert!


WI at lunch and another 1/2 pound officially bites the dust. 2 pounds to go!!!!

I love all the ideas to feed those cravings without going off plan... I am going to have to try that tortilla with cinnamon Jenn!!
A couple of thoughts have come up while I read these wonderful threads about rewards. We are a society that rewards and celebrates using food, so much so that I have found myself (in the past) thinking "I have been watching what I eat and doing so well, I DESERVE to have that ____ (fill in the blank, often ice cream or Italian food.) This time around I am trying really hard to find non-food rewards. I lost 10lbs, I got a massage... 20lbs and I am getting a pedicure... goal weight and I get a new wardrobe for my trip to Hawaii... while food costs less monetarily, having a bigger reward in mind makes it all the more celebratory when I hit my goal. My previous attempts at losing the weight haven’t lasted so long without a cheat, I don’t know if it is my mindset this time, or if it is because I have had it with making excuses. I know that we are all different and if others have found rewards that are working for them that is great… I just wanted to share what has worked for me so far.
Also, I know there are a lot of ideas using Splenda… anyone use Truvia? I like it better but don’t know what the official MRC line on it is.

I use truvia, and my center basically said to use whatever artificial sweetener I want. However, I am not as yet sure how it effect most of the recipies. I just know it makes great cinnamon toast in the mornings

OH I love the chips too. I take a tortilla cut it up and then sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning on it. Bake until done. mmmmm mmmmmm good.

I use my mandolin slicer to thinly slice up an apple. I sprinkle each slice with a little splenda and cin. I bake them for an hour at a low temp. It makes crispy sweet apple chips. Sooo good! I also do this with zucchini and then dip them in cottage cheese blended with ranch seasoning. Those are my favorite snack type foods.