The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[cydj21]

I am loving this new journal feature since the last time I was a fully functioning member of the MF family! I'm glad to see so many people using it and cannot wait to check up and see how people are doing.

Today is day 3 for me. In part I'm very happy with how easy it has been to get right back at it, and in part I am being faced with a grim reminder of just how tough the first week truly is. I've spent so long developing my own system that the discipline required to stay compliant is a bit of an annoyance, but overall I am upbeat. I did accidentally weigh this morning (a force of habit as the scale has kind of become a friend to me as I've used it to make sure I'm on track and not ever gaining back what I've lost) and was glad to see I've lost quite a bit already. With that said - I am firmly staying away from the scale until my official week one weigh-in on Sunday. From there, I know first hand things get easier because it's so fantastic to see the hard work rewarded with smaller numbers on the scale. I also feel at an advantage this time around because I am a much better cook and more imaginative when it comes to the kinds of vegetables I eat and how to prepare them - it keeps it much more exciting!

My best friend started with me this week and she's doing very well, I am quite proud of her. Where my weakness is a massive sweet tooth (which I can largely keep in check with my shakes, puddings and bars) her weakness is fried foods like fries and bacon cheesburgers so I am happy she is still moving along. It hasn't been easy, especially since this is her first go at it, but having her along for the slim-down ride certainly makes my motivation much stronger. She started at 209 and she is looking to get to around 160-170 which on her build will look fantastic. She is quite tall and just naturely bigger boned (literally - not as an excuse, the size of her wrist compared to mine is kind of shocking) so we are looking forward to a summer of much smaller sundresses in our closets.

Other than that, I am just waiting for the crowds to start picking up here again. It's so much quieter than I remember although I gather some site issues may be the main culprit. At any rate, I'm excited and I'm still here and looking forward to keeping in touch with everyone!

[Sojourner]

Hiya, Cyd ~ nice to meet'cha!


I hope your Day 3 has gone well.
Awesome that you have a friend with which to take this journey;
it should be motivational for both of you to see each other's progress.

In the studio thread you stated that you found the difference in your
face to be amazing because of your loss, and I definitely have to agree!
You kinda' look like Reese Witherspoon now!

As far as the journals go, they are now the most frequented areas
of the board. It's a great way to really get to know each other in a more
in-depth manner than before. And you're right about the site issues
being the cause of how quiet this place has been lately ~ but hopefully,
once everyone realizes that we're back in business, they'll come back around.

Anyhoo, I just wanted to say howdy and welcome back!

[katieb920]

Hiya Cyd

Nice to meet ya.

I think it so great that you have someone going through this with you. I think it makes you more accountable. But I do have to say the people on this board are so supportive. And they are my friends. When I am feeling down because I did not lose an oz. They smack me on the head <img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u130/Momof2js/smilies/smack.gif" border="0" alt="SMAKC ON HEAD"> and say get over it girl. You have lost 50#.

I am really excited to have you aboard.

[cydj21]

The forum was definitely my saving grace the first time around, and this time I am glad to have both the support of my online MF friends and a friend giving MF a go, too. So far this first week has been the expected roller coaster between "yes! I am loving this - I can do this!" to "ohgosh this isn't easy, when is it over?" for both of us. So far, so good. We are both on track and feeling much better as the week progresses. Knowing that first weigh-in is only a couple of days away is also a fantastic feeling because then we'll get to see how beneficial this first week of staying on track truly was for us and it'll help us keep moving along. I am really excited to see how happy she is when she gets below 200 for the first time in years. I've been flirting in the 190s for a LONG while now, but I remember how exciting it was and I cannot wait to see that for her and everyone here.

Last night's dinner was probably my favorite so far. Like I said - being a better/more creative cook definitely makes it easier to stay energetic about meals. I LOVE cooking, especially on the weekends with my boyfriend (soon to be fiance I guess - we've picked my ring up, but he's waiting to speak with my dad before we call it official lol) because it's really the only time we get to spend together and we love spending time in the kitchen. As per all my continued weight loss, I've gotten really good at making delicious meals that are very healthy, but I do miss being in there 2-3 times on the weekend cooking up a storm.

At any rate, about last night's dinner - I pounded out chicken breasts and stuffed them with crab meat (real - not imitation) and spinach then baked them for about 30 minutes and sided it was a sauteed blend of mushrooms, quartered, and more spinach. We were both delightfully in love with it and beyond satisfied. After a meal like that, you almost have a hard time convincing yourself you didn't somehow cheat! If anyone wants the exact specifics of last night's meal, let me know and I'll post it in the recipes section. It was delicious and like I said, you would never guess it wasn't "cheating."

[lifelovinaries]

good for you cyd! It's great motivation that you have a friend that is also on the same path AND such a supportive BF/fiance. I know what you mean about finding a GREAT L&G recipe then feeling like you've cheated because you enjoyed it so much. Then you think about it and are SUPER happy because you realize that it was all OP! And, yes, i would like that recipe. If you don't post it, can you at least PM me? Thanks! Good luck to you and your friend at roll call.

[ladyhawke]

Hi

Cyd, post the recipe for the chix, plz

[cydj21]

I will definitely post the recipe sometime today. It was delicious and you will not be disappointed!

Something I've noticed over the past several nights - I am having the cheating dreams I had last time I did MF again! 3 of the last 5 nights I've dreamed that I've cheated, fallen off the wagon, and spent the entire dream feeling like crud for not sticking with it, only to wake up and realize it was a dream. There is nothing like waking up relieved you didn't actually cheat!

Also, the first couple of days I was sort of so-so about the oatmeals and couldn't figure out why I LOVED them so much, although I still thought they were pretty good. Last night I added a dash of cinnamon and one Splenda packet to my oatmeal and let's just say - I remember! I could eat oatmeal 5x a day...well, maybe 4x. I need my choc/mint bar in the afternoon!

[summergirl]

Chocolate mint!!! Yum

Glad to read your progress-I'm doing MF with a friend, as well and it sure does help Your friend and mine are of similar weight with similar goals, as are you and I!!!

I'm excited to follow your journey!

PS-I have been staying away from the forum a bit, cuz it was taking so long to load up when I first joined! And, there doesn't seem to be a lot of activity~ Maybe we can change that!

Keep up the great work and I need all the help I can get with recipes and cooking. Lean and Green is my downfall. I love chicken, but need to figure out how to cook it!! Arg!

[cydj21]

I am going to post a couple of recipes here for those who requested them, and then also post them in the recipes section so they are easier to find later on. I'll list the the crab stuffed chicken first and then last night's dinner - ground turkey "meatloaf."

Crab-Stuffed Chicken

First, pound out chicken breasts (more or less depending on how many people you will serve) so they are about twice as wide and twice as long end to end as before thinning them. Sprinkle each one with a pinch of kosher salt and some fresh-cracked black pepper.

In each breast pile up a few tablespoons (an estimate) of pre-cooked shredded crab meat (I had cooked this previously, seaonsed with a bit of Old Bay seasoning) and about 5-6 shredded baby spinach leaves.

Next, pull either end of the chicken breast up to meet in the middle and then tie it with string (the kind you find in a kitchen supply store, or otherwise just a strong white cotton string) on either end to keep the breast rolled up. For anyone wary of using string, it's no big deal, just tie it in a knot, clip the ends and it's good to go.

Once rolled up, hit the tops of the stuffed breasts with a bit more salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder and celery seed before baking at 350 for approximately 30 minutes in a glass baking dish, covered. Keep in mind - the size of the chicken breasts and the thickness once pounded out will play a large role in how long they take to cook so to be safe I would start checking the oven at about 20 minutes and then every 5 minutes thereafter.

On the side I served mushrooms sauteed with spinach. Clean and chop white mushrooms into quarters and cook over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed sautee pan with fresh, cleaned spinach, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I add a few tablespoons of water here and there throughout the cooking process to keep them from sticking and to use the steam to help cook them. You will probably want to very lightly spray the pan with Pam or something similar prior to cooking.

Ground Turkey "Meatloaf"

First, place a pound of 99% fat free ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add chopped tomatoes (approx. 3/4 cup), fresh spinach (approx. 1 cup), and chopped mushrooms (approx. 3/4 cup), some minced garlic, kosh salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Next, mix all the ingredients together. I find using my hands works best. Then, move the mixture into a baking dish lightly sprayed with Pam and press it down so it is flat like meatloaf would be. Use a medium-size baking dish or do as I did and use a larger one, but only press the meatloaf mixture into one half of the dish - it all bakes the same.

Finally, bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. The result is surprisingly VERY tastey and delicious. My boyfriend Michael loved it and make me promise to make it again and again.

NOTE I know if you follow the MF condiment guide 100% you are still supposed to measure/monitor how much you use of things like spices. For myself, I opt to ignore that rule so long as it is something calorie/carb/sugar free, and I carefully read labels on everything to be sure it's a pure ground spice with no added sugar which I know can creep into some spice mixtures. Personally, this allows me to know I can walk away from dinner fully satisfied without adding calories into my intake, but I just wanted to make note of that in order for full disclosure.

BON APPETITE!

[cydj21]

So today is Day 7 for me - tomorrow will be my first official weigh-in as I started on a Monday, and also because I travel a lot on the weekends (oh the joys of a 150 mile long distance relationship) and am rarely near my "official" scale on Sunday mornings. I am hoping for big numbers tomorrow! My friend cheated and snuck in an early/unofficial scale hop yesterday and 6 days in had already dropped from 208 to 201 so she is excited and has me fired up to see our official Week 1 numbers tomorrow morning.

To keep myself occupied I've been doing some wedding brainstorming this weekend. We are most likely looking at a late July/early August 2009 wedding...and hopefully I should be wearing my ring by Memorial Day weekend! We picked it up last weekend, but that is the next time we'll be with family to allow Mike to discuss things with my father more formally which is something that is important to us. At any rate, I took it out of the box today to marvel at it's sheer BEAUTY and I swear - it already feels too big even though we just picked it up a week ago! At this rate I think I'll have to have it sized before we even go home next month.

Among my brainstorms - we're really trying to find a way to have an incredible wedding while sparing as many expenses as possible, a tough feat with my huge family. Today it dawned on me, who is to say I couldn't find a bridesmaid dress I love that comes in white/ivory and wear that as my wedding gown? Likely I could spend <$300 on a dress instead of the $600+ every bride I've known to date has spent on her dress. That little brain child has me even more pumped to drop this weight and start the shopping process. Exciting!

[cydj21]

First weigh-in this morning left me down 8.2lbs! I am excited, but somehow still feeling VERY overwhelmed with all of the work left to be done, so I am just trying to keep my mind elsewhere this morning. All in all, no complaints!

[summergirl]

Nice Job on the weight loss! Very impressive!

As for wedding planning goes... My (first) wedding needed to be inexpensive, and I thought we did a great job keeping costs down. My mom made my dress and it was beautiful. (Although I know that's not something everyone has access to).

I think your idea of getting a "Bridesmaid-type" dress is a great one! A friend of mine did that-got her dress for $99 at a store called Mariposa at the Mall-not sure if those stores are nationwide or not... I think you will have great luck with that. Also, there is a catalog I get called Chadwick's-they have tons of dresses-check out their website wwwdotchadwicksdotcom


Good luck! You'll be amazed where you can cut costs!

[Lauren]

I don't opt to cook much, but your recipe for the stuffed chicken sounded freakin' fabulous, I may have to do it!

Wanted to let you know that J.Crew has a great selection of bridesmaid and bridal dresses. You may have better luck with that, as it might be difficult to find a bridesmaid dress in ivory, since most get a color to not compete with the bride.

It all sounds very exciting, and congrats on the big loss!

Lauren

[ladyhawke]

Cyd, if you are savvy in the Ebay world, there are many beautiful current wedding dresses on there, some are from the bridal shops themselves and are quite reasonable for what you are getting, if you need help, PM or email me, a girl I work with saw a gown online and then found out locally where they sold it, she went in the store and tried it on and got the correct size, etc, didn't tell the salespeople at said store what she was doing, and then ordered it online and it was beautiful.

Best,
LH

P.S. on the fantastic loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, I got all the ingredients for the chicken, but I stood at the seafood counter and could not find Crap to stuff it with!

[aquarianskye]

Wow! Awesome weight loss for the week! Nice to meet you btw. It looks like you're doing great. Having a buddy always helps.

I think you're right about site issues being the cause of the site being so quiet. I know that I've stayed away because of the issues. Frustrating waiting for the site to load.

Hope you're having a GREAT day!