The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Nancy]

Great comments! I am lying on my back, laptop on my belly, wanting to type more but not doing so well...goal weight IS hard to determine and only YOU know if you've reached it. When you are ready, begin tranny - be sure to follow it exactly!

Maintenance is wonderful - it's a daily choice to keep on feeling and being thin or giving in to those old selfish foody desires and allowing the call of the grub to be in control...MF is my maintenance lifeline - three shakes and a bar or a serving of oatmeal a day, keep the Fat Fairy away...

[DutchChoc]

Thanks, Nancy. I guess that would cut the recurring costs in about half or so and/or my $200 usual order would last almost twice as long. I find myself paying the costs of what I eat while on MF as well as about 85% of what the "eaters" in my household eat. Does keep my budget trim that way.

What would be a rather ordinary eating day for you, then? Perhaps pretty close to stage 6 of transition, I guess? How often do you still go eat off a restaurant menu?

Feeling very good this morning. Wearing a rather slinky black shelf-top tank top with thin straps and black jeans and it looks pretty much like what would impress me on someone else. Weight still hasn't moved from last week, but Aunt Flo really is here, as I knew she would be. The extra pound is gone, so maybe there will be a drop for the roll call tomorrow. I don't think I'll hold my breath on that, unfortunately.

How's everybody doing? Looks like Ivan might be giving some of our FL friends a reprieve, albeit possibly moving towards others.

Have a great MF day.

[Guest]

Do I go out to eat at restaurants?
Yes, I go out for meals occasionally. We really are not in the habit of doing so as it is rather costly. Remember, Terry is a pastor and I was a teacher in private schools, and then worked at a community college until the middle of July.

When we do go out, it is usually for a special occasion or for a business meeting or at a conference or seminar. Terry is more inclined to go out than I am as he meets throughout the week with different people. If I go out, it is usually for coffee at Starbuck’s or once a month to Cold Stone Creamery for an awesome sundae!

We prefer having people over to our home and preparing something healthy and really good than sitting in a noisy restaurant lobby waiting a very long time to be seated and then having to listen to whining kids and loud talkers. Our home is a serene cottage with a pond and soothing waterfall where Terry grills the best salmon, chicken and halibut. I bake great pies, cakes and make the freshest salads and veggies.

After church this Sunday we are going to a baby shower and I will have nuts, candies, cake and punch. Next Friday is my son-in-law's birthday and we are going to meet at a restaurant in town for a surprise birthday party for him. It will be great fun and there will be lots of people and I’ll order what I like and then I’ll have birthday cake for dessert. That same weekend we are having a final vacation planning BBQ. It is requested that I bake and bring a coconut cream pie and an apple pie with ice cream. Of course, I shall have a slice of each! Because I can!

I do not over eat two days in a row. I weigh every single day. I do not allow more than five pounds to creep up on me.

Several months ago I had been on several weekend road trips (doing the restaurant thing several times a day and going to FUDGE SHOPS – which I am wont to do, the weather was skanky and I wasn’t gardening much and walking was very limited due to my hip problem. I woke up one morning, leaped on the scale and discovered I was 9 pounds over my goal and I freaked out – it would be too easy to justify, to rationalize the additional pounds – I looked good but I was not at my optimal weight and I did not feel optimal. Leopard Woman did not look optimal in her underdoodies!

Because I love being slender and wearing all the nice clothes that I now have, I am very careful about what I eat and how much I eat. I am determined to not regain. I am determined to be healthy and slender for the rest of my life. I eat regular food plus Medifast. The Women's Health shakes take care of menopausal symptoms; the soy is great for a woman's immune system and is heart-healthy. The MF food is inexpensive and very convenient to prepare and there is virtually no clean up involved. I love having my groceries come to the front door - it saves me $ and time so that I have more of both to spend on the things and the people I really love.

[DutchChoc]

You sound SO balanced, Nancy. I can tell that you like tranquility and your home sounds like my dream home, with pond, waterfall, nature. I'm glad that your life is good and it's obviously because you will do what you need to do to get it that way and keep it that way.

I have a bit of that personality, well, to be fair, I think that's my basic preference for how life should be, but I also have a bit of desperate striving to touch all the bases on the commuter's trail. Because of the that, and because I wasn't planing ahead well enough to have food ready after work, eating out was prominent at least a couple of times a week on the way home from work. I also don't have the regular help preparing meals that you do, you lucky thing! Even so, I know that lots of pre-MF problems came from other sources, such as the food free-for-all I had when I got home from work and laid my eyes on the kitchen. I'm sure I could use a MF product to assuage (sp?) that kind of hunger/reaction. In spite of doing well at this rate, USUALLY I cannot stand being hungry. I know that sounds odd to somebody.

Glad that you were able to recover your proper stance in underdoodles. In the past, if I started gaining, it was like my appetite went to the spin cycle and would not stop prompting me to overeat. Your perspective on all of this is reassuring and I seem "capable" of the same. It just hasn't been tried yet. Doing this is a honeymoon compared to stopping the fast.

I, also, like feeling better-looking rather than matronly. Even SO seems pleased at how this is turning out; however, regardless of what he thinks of it five minutes from now, I want to remember how "I" feel about it and what it means to me. Thanks for the reply. Hope you're feeling better. Didn't realize you had had the shots & were resting when I asked the question earlier.

[Nancy]

Dutch ~

Commuting certainly brings with it anxiety and hunger - I always have a bar in the car - it gives me something chocolatey to munch on that soothes jangled nerves (plus ya need to down a bottle of water, too) then when I get home, I am not a Starvin' Marvin and can garden a bit or start some laundry and unwind as I prepare supper.

I purchase Romaine lettuce and wash it and make a nice huge bowl of salad with green onions, celery, cukes and tomaters and keep it in the refer so it is ready to go when we feel momentary lapses of scarfage coming on.

Alas, I was unprepared for this latest bed rest session and we have virtually no fresh groceries in the cottage. Terry was away for most of yesterday and all day today. Our daughter and son-in-law live directly behind us and this afternoon they brought down a lovely lunch of smoked brisket, beans and potato salad. Chris is a student at the Culinary Institute and he absolutely loves to grill and BBQ. I had a plateful of his delectible food and then have had a serving of MF oatmeal, MF puddin' and this morning I had a MF + Women's Health shake. Terry arrived about an hour ago with his left over Taco salad from a conference he attended today. He was the speaker so he didn't get to eat his lunch. It looked tasty but wilted...it has plasticky-looking cheese and the avocado had turned a nasty brown - it was easy to pass it by! A couple of years ago I would have eaten that Taco Salad AND two or three servings of brisket and potato salad and gone out for ice cream, too.

It gets easier as time goes by, Dutch...NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels!

Sometimes we are not as prepared for emergencies as we would like to be but since we do have a good supply of MF, we are really not caught without healthy options.

It takes work and self discipline to get healthy and it takes work and self discipline to stay healthy. I SO wanted double helpings of Chris' potato salad and brisket. I SO want a dish of ice cream tonight but I want to have a healthy heart and want to look good in my bathing suit MORE than I want that tater salad! We do not keep ice cream in the freezer but there is more of Chris' wonderful tater salad lurking in the refer...

[DutchChoc]

Thanks, Nancy. Hearing stories of how you do it helps me a lot. It seems logical and, like your other post on having the discipline, I "KNOW" I have the discipline to do it because I really DO have the discipline to get up and go to work when I'm supposed to, lol!

So true about not landing in the kitchen with the mental burden of what to cook PLUS a king-sized appetite. I will somehow make sure that I am not a Starvin Marvin when I come home to that (soon). I HAVE already bought a Baby George rotisserie thinking that will be a good tool. Can't grill outside too easily as this is an apartment. They do have a community grill, but I've never used it. SO does not like grilled food, but I do. I'll do it with my son sometime, and on the other occassions, the rotisserie should be a good thing for me/us.

Nice you had the familial delivery of some goo things yesterday. Very timely considering the emptiness of your stores, and sounds good. I would've wanted more too, I'm sure, but that trip to Hawaii must be looking pretty good and serving as a significant backdrop.

I'll be giving myself some wonderful aromatherapy today in the form of the pot roast I've been trying to make (for the others). A new recipe and it calls for what I know will produce a wonderful smell. Fresh rosemary and thyme. Just got back from the store with those items. I'm not expecting any surprises like loss of sanity - hope I don't have any!!

I'm feeling pretty great - well, except that I am having some of those calf cramps that might be "about" needing potassium. I looked for some OTC and didn't see a bottle of specifically that; I also noticed that most of the multiple vitamins have very, very little. Maybe it's available where there are larger spectrums of vitamins. I should remember to look soon.

Here's to a beautiful autumn day.

[Guest]

Dutch ~

re: Potassium. It is sometimes hard to find a potassium supplement in the stores - have some of the Robust Tomato Fast Soup - it has 190 mg of sodium and 410 mg of potassium. I LOVE the Robust Tomato! Delicate Chicken has 240 mg of sodium, 390 mg of potassium and the Savory Beef has 400 mg of sodium and 270 mg of potassium.

We like our George Grill - haven't seen Geo's rotisserie but it sounds good, too. We like to use our Geo Grill - it cooks meat & veggies very quickly. Your family might enjoy grilled chicken and veggie or grilled salmon or halibut on the Geo. Of course it makes fabulous grilled cheese samwiches (a No No on the weight loss plan!) and quesedillas (also a No No!) Fajitas are yum-yum and you may prepare them and have them sans a tortilla.

[DutchChoc]

Thanks for the ideas about the potassium. My mind is a bit twisted, frankly, and the idea of eating soup <> eating shakes, though. Of course one has to wonder why I'd make that distinction, as one is hot thick and one is cold thick! On the other hand, like that old tv show, "Vee have ways of making you eat", in this case, as could be the case if I'm short on the "K". I might get some lab tests done just to see if maybe it's just a calcium prob or a lesser prob. Surely a potassium shortage is rare enough it isn't likely that.

Yes, very much looking forward to using my little machine. They have two sizes -- one seems big enough for 2 chickens and this one cooks one or 2 cornish hems. It has a cooking box attachment that can hold the sliding kinds of stuff like vegetables, etc. Makes me think it's time to go drink up just mentioning said food. An activity might be in order, too.

[DutchChoc]

Well, last but not least, here's the brief news of the day, and it's just three little words: I made it. It wasn't easy today and I feel exhausted.

It was small son's 8th bd, so already a bit more pressure entered the mix just hoping he'd have a good day. Took the homemade cake to his daycare and they said they might not be able to serve it because it should've been store-bought... yes, I should have considered this when we made it. Anyway, I thought about how annoyed I'd be having put these 6 sticks of butter and 8 eggs and 6 cups of cake flour together for nothing and how, secretly, I'd wish "I" could have it, in that case. Ha! Well, in the end, it wasn't wasted and I didn't have any; however, I do have some in the freezer. SO turned his nose up at the leftovers and said something about it smelling too sweet. I will have to try to remember not to make up for that "later", as I sometimes do if my cooking gets criticized. Maybe it still should be thrown away instead of kept.

Aside from that, was on the run until almost 10pm after work today with the birthday outing. Had four shakes out of the shaker jar today instead of the ones I can usually have nice and cold and fluffy from the blender. Let's face it, sometimes this is hard work!

On the good side, I'm just a smidgin from getting to write 134 instead of 135, and maybe tomorrow will be that day. I did feel trim today in a pumpkin orange turtle neck and olive jeans, kind of celebrating fall and trying to "blow off" the impending feeling of a Monday with a bit of under-dressing. The picture is still not perfect as there IS a glob of "bra fat" where it doesn't belong, i.e. visible.

I'm counting on feeling restored and ready for another day tomorrow. What a relief to be done with today.

[Guest]

Dutch, wow! You have made excellent progress to be able to prepare a delectable cake and avoid licking the pans! Also awesome job of deflecting the criticism and you handled it so well. Putting the cake in the freezer is a good idea and maybe if your SO isn't apt to eat it, it might be better to take it to work and share it with co-workers or dump it at a trash can in front of the grocery store, etc. Away from your home!

Can't figure out what's going on with my computer. I see it appears the last few postings were written by a "guest" and it truly they were written by Nancy. Argh!

[sudaoning]

I agree those birthdays can certainly be a challenge Dutch........and family dinners, and eating out, and having kids and life in general.................. We had 2 in the same week in August. You did soooo well! Even better that you rose above the cooking criticism!


Big dogs can come in handy for dealng with those leftovers too!

My own birthday is coming soon. Grown daughter is somewhat disappointed that I will not be wanting a cake or fancy meal. She is at a loss as to how to "surprise" me and celebrate. Maybe I will have to offer other suggestions.


Go Dutch! You are SO nearly THERE!

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Dutch,

Your comments are timely and very helpful as tomorrow is hubby's birthday. Today I'm making a chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and will keep my grubby little fingers out of the project thanks to your encouragement and good example of being in focus and control.

I'm still in a holding pattern but holding steadfast to the plan waiting for my big breakthrough.

Tapping my foot, drumming my fingers and still shakin,
Camille

[DutchChoc]

Hawaiiwhatknow, I'll be thinking of you and sending a cake-protection halo your way for your hubby's birthday party. You're a strong woman and you will be fine. Watch out for flying cake batter - I am sure it could be disasterous were it to land near the mouth anywhere, lol!!

Besides, LW is coming soon to your town and that will be extra help in staying good, plus, you're awaiting the return on your time and effort, too. A nice loss is coming, and many more.

Sudaoing, I'd love to have a big dog, or even a little dog, but we have only small pets here - fish, birds, hamsters. Nothing that eats much. It DOES feel good to make it through a challenge or two, and you've certainly done that lately. It feels even greater when compared with the despair of the alternative... which is no stranger to me in other attempts. I'm sure that your daughter knows you're serious about what you're doing and will help you protect the time and effort you're putting into it. Food is just food, and you will have a good time even with the packets.

Nancy, so that WAS you as Guest. I really did think so. In my brain, I know that that cake does not belong with me -- it's still the size of a loaf of bread and I need to forego the idea that I will keep it for later. I'd be beside myself with grief after the first five minutes "alone" with it. It's an achievement that I really should continue to enjoy vicariously. I'll let you know when I get it outta here.

[DutchChoc]

Here's a few things about today:

It was a good day, with the stress levels from yesterday falling gradually to manageable levels. I still look forward to a workout this evening to kind of exhaust myself further. Still a bit tense.

The scale is unchanged, although I jumped up there hoping. I felt rather pudgy today. I must need to kick it up a Leopard notch to gain some ATTITUDE about what I'm wearing tomorrow. Today, it's just a rather uninspiring dress I made over the weekend, a kind of chambray blue with lines of hatch-crossing strings of flowers that was originally going to be a wrap skirt. A skirt might've been more in line with the quaintness of the fabric. That's how I felt today - QUAINT -- and that meant fat in my mind somehow.

We're going on a small trip on what would be the dates I originally set for beginning transition. Somehow, that happened because I wanted to take advantage of a longer weekend (Columbus Day) to get out of town (and not to Florida). This means I need to either forego the foody aspect of my trip, more or less, or finish sooner. I am not too happy counting to the end of my MF plans -- seems there are about 20-something days left before the complications enter. This has been a sanctuary of sorts and maybe I'm not wanting the cocoon to open. Of course, I can easily keep doing there what I've been doing here.

Still blazing trails here, Thinsville-bound. Stay aboard, friends.

[Nancy]

It seems as if there are always foody events to contend with, eh? As time goes by, it does get easier to deal with them. You are all doing remarkably well, too.

How fun to be able to sew new outfits. As the fall season and its cooler weather arrives, those of you who are in the 'loser stage' will hopefully be wearing your current fall wardrobe for the last time - next year, you will be skinny and the clothes you are currently wearing will be passed on to someone new to wear!

For the rest f our lives, we will be faced with food and now while you are Medifasting, you are learning restraint and all about portion size.

While I DO eat a large (and I mean LARGE) portion of salad every evening for supper and often for lunch or mid afternoon I really cannot eat a large portion of meat or other items any more. I am very satisfied with a small taste of some things. I do eat very frequently and I try to balance my meals - protein to carbs about 1:1 ratio.

You are in the Training Phase now - training your eye to really know how much is 'allowed' for your meat portions, learning to decline foods that are not good for you now - some of them may not be good for you later, either.

Often I think of my Uncle Jake who was diabetic and lost his leg to poor circulation. He loved pancakes, biscuits, and Johnny Bread smothered in jam or syrup. He really missed having pie and cake and other desserts but he knew they were not good for him and so he avoided them totally. There are many people who have health issues, allergies, etc. and they are able to exercise restraint and they have trained themselves to just say "no."

I have learned to practice saying no at home so that when I am out or at a friend's home or in our own home at the table, I can very naturally say no and decline the offer to have foods that are not kind to my waist, heart and arteries.

You are coming up with good solutions to deal with the leftovers. Remember, a super alternative is a serving of sugar free Jello.

Keep on shakin'. That stubborn flab will come off. You folks are getting very buff so perhaps your muscles are stalling the weight drop.