I'm on day 5 of the program....a newbie....but am learning a lot already. Would love to hear what you're learning.....Here's mine so far:

1. Mindfulness--needing to be very mindful planning what I eat and realizing how "unmindful" I was with my eating before.
2. Gratitude--Grateful I was able to afford this program, grateful I am able to afford the healthy food it requires. What I see as "deprivation" in a sense (and in my mind I see it as being deprived for awhile but down the road being able to enjoy the "treats" again in a more controlled way)....I'm mindful that for some people my "deprivation" is a FEAST!
3. That we are capable of changing if we put our minds to it.
4. I actually feel better without the sugar highs and lows.
5. Take time--you have to take time to eat (i.e. the BIG salad!)

Great idea. I'd agree with everything you said. I'd like to add:

1. Use your other senses: I have learned to appreciate smell so much more. When I grocery shop, I enjoy smelling the fresh baked bread, cookies, deli food, etc. While at first I was upset that I couldn't have it, now I use it as a way to enjoy the food without actually putting it in my mouth.

2. I realized that I drank a lot of soda and wasted a lot of calories by doing that... but the only thing I am missing (and I've been on program for 167 days) is the carbonation, not the sugar.

I am a newbie also...Day18.

I've learned that I can stop saying I can't and say I can.

I can get through a day without coffee and cokes.

I still hate vegetables, but I can eat them.

i've learned how disgusting i feel when i go back to eating crap, hehe and that it actually feels good to be putting good fuel in your body.

I've learned to like or rather to love vegetables and truly enjoy eating the way we do. I feel better so much better. I dreamt last night that I was eating a BIG chocolate cake with inch thick iceing on it. Boy did I feel guilty. I never want to have those feelings again. Every time I ate something bad I would wonder why am I eating this way and think to myself.. I need to get a grip on this. Now I have and I don't want to go back..I don't miss it...AT ALL

Concerning soda--have you tried Diet Rite...or is it Diet Diet Rite? Anyways, no sugar or sodium and not bad really. I understand about the "carbonation" thing....and it helps me anyway. Diet Hanson's Root Beer isn't bad either....notice I'm still at the "not bad"....will eventually come to like....just as I came to like diet soda at one time and skim milk at one time--and when on regular soda and regular milk I HATED the change at first.

That this "weight clutter" is about a lot more than food.....I cleaned out the clutter in my kitchen today to get things better organized to get my salad stuff ready for the workweek.....I have great tools to make this happen....just pushed in back of cabinets....now it's out on the counter ready to go.

That I actually used to LOVE to cook before I had kids and it got so busy...and this "new kind of cooking" is actually kind of fun again....notice "kind of".....but I'm getting there.

I am learning to become a stronger person. I am now looking at the relationships I have with food and other people and what is just not working for me. If food was truly a friend, I am trying to think of how I would want to feel when I was with that friend. Would you hang around a friend that makes you feel guilty, fat and will give you diseases? That is what the unhealthy relationship I have with food does to me. I had hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, my joints hurt, my self esteem went into the toilet and I masked true emotions that I need to experience with food. Talk about distruction.

Nice analogy Lori123321. I like that! --Joy2MeNu

Gorgeous picture. You look lovely and so happy. Your analogy is a great one. You have been missed, glad to hear from you.

I am learning to have control over chocolate and sweets. I work in a Radiation Therapy clinic and the patients all want to say thank you with goodies. They are there in the break room on a daily basis and I am quickly learning I don't need them. I am someone who can't just have one piece of candy or 1 cookie. So far I have done well and hope to continue on even into maintanance

Ronnie

I am remembering how great it feels to not be fat. I am not at my goal yet and still have things to work on before I am happy but I don't think I realized how big I was. I was 195 at my biggest and lost 30 on my own before MRC. I am also learning that the vending machine does not have the magnetism I thought it did. Now I look at it disgusted and walk right past to the water machine and fridge for my salad.

It only gets better from day 3 too! You'll love expanding your menu choices!

I am learning that I'm presented with choices every single minute of my day and it is up to me, as the manifest-er of my own destiny, to make sure those choices support my long-term goals. I've said it before, my mantra is "I've made up my mind, no need to think it over." If I spend time "thinking" about my choices I'm more apt to choose unwisely. I know what I've got to do and I just need to do it without bargaining with myself.