The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[dlr2424]

24k...thank you so much for posting that....it was heart warming!!

Donna...dlr2424

[MamaD]

24k

Amen....and amen.....
I am not even Catholic, but I too weep for the loss of such a wonderful man. Who contributed so greatly to our world....We are indeed...one in the spirit....

[want2Bthin]

Just think, soon he will no longer suffer. He soon will be able to see the face of God. Can you imagine. What an awesome homecoming it will be for him. He will soon be a peace.

Angelia

[monkeymom]

24K, thanks for posting that. How well I remember praying that prayer all the years I worked at the nursing home in my hometown that is still 99% Catholic. Although I left the Catholic church quite a few years ago, I have always had great respect for Pope John Paul. He was just such a breath of fresh air in that office and the way he reached out internationally was so inspiring. I think how he was received and respected by people of all faiths in all parts of the world is the sign of a truly great man.

[24KaratGold]

The Vatican has just announced that John Paul II has died. May he rest in peace.

[24KaratGold]

I took one of the kids to the doctor's for a summer camp physical today, and had the nurse check my blood pressure while she was doing his.

118/72. Woohoo!

I've never had "high" blood pressure problems, but it had crept up a bit (bottom number was over 80) when I gained additional weight after my car accident, so doc and I are both very pleased with these numbers. I'm recording them here so that I remember what they are and on what date.

[LilMsTexas]

OH that's great news about your blood pressure. Mine had been creeping up for a while now too. When my doc saw me last week I had been on program 3 weeks and already it was closer to normal. I'm very proud of ALL the things this program is doing for us!!
CHEERS!
Christi

[24KaratGold]

Feh. I've been at half a pound up or down from 225 for a week and a half now, and I've been 97+% compliant -- and my noncompliance was on the two Sundays in that period of time and involved an extra ounce or two of protein so I somehow don't think that a couple extra ounces of protein over ten days is doing this. I walked four times last week, for 20-25 minutes a time (breaking in new hiking boots for Hawaii).

My head knows that: (1) According to the Success in a Shaker Jar book, plateaus often happen following a 40-50 pound loss, and I'm at 45 pounds right now; and (2) plateaus often happen at weights the body is comfortable at, or has spent a long time at. I spent most of my college and law school days in the mid 220s, which is where I'm at right now.

AND twice before in the last 20 years when I've done WW and lost a bunch of weight, I ended up around here. Once it was at 212, with a 62 pound loss, about 17 years ago, but I stayed there for only about fifteen minutes. I got pregnant, and then I got pregnant, so that was the end of THAT. And then about 10 years ago I got to right about where I am now -- not sure of the exact number but it was somewhere in the 220s -- with a 45+ pound loss, and then I was bored of doing WW since I'd been doing it for 10 months or so, and I just quit. So (3) maybe my body thinks I'm going to quit now.

Sigh. I've been here before, at weeks 4 and 5, with just half a pound loss each of those weeks, so I'm sure this will move on soon. I mean, you can't live on no more than 800 calories a day and not lose weight eventually. I'd just like to see that number move before I leave for Hawaii, which is a week from today. I have made a decision that I'm not going to be completely compliant in Hawaii, but also that I am going to go right back on the program when I get back. I'll be gone just five days. I don't intend to binge or anything like that, but I do plan to enjoy some of the tropical fruits and things like that. I'd like to see a loss on that scale before I go just to help give me the motivation to eat healthy while I'm gone, and to jump right back into things when I get home.

[doglover]

Oh 24K - big hug to you!

As you may know from other posts - I have a "stuck at" weight too. Mine is in the low 150's and here I am yet again! I think there is a physical and mental thing that happens when we get to that weight. The body stalls w/ some funky physical stuff but also I think our mind says, this is where I lose it so I will probably lose it this time too. Then we begin to self sabotage and it is over, beginning that cycle again. It is called self-fulfilling prophesy in the psychological world.

What you and I need to do is stand up, take aim and beat this pony to the ground We need a lot of positive self talk here. We need to look in the mirror and tell ourselves this time it is different. We will succeed!

Please come here often. Don't fret about the number for Hawaii. Go back to taking one day at a time and one hour at a time. Reward yourself for each Medimeal you eat and know that this too shall pass.

Thoughts and prayers your way -
Donna

[24KaratGold]

Donna, you are so sweet. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I think you are right about

also I think our mind says, this is where I lose it so I will probably lose it this time too.

I am afraid of two things with this Hawaii trip: one is that I will gain back ten pounds or more (not realistic for a five day trip where I don't intend to go completely out of control, I hope!) and the other is that I won't be able to get my head back on to the program when I come back. Because there is part of me that doesn't believe that I'm ever going to weigh much less than I weigh right now, and certainly doesn't believe that I will ever, ever be able to get below 200 pounds. After all, I haven't been there for thirty years, so why should I be there now???

Even my doctor, yesterday, told me that it wouldn't be a bad idea for me to go off the plan while I'm in Hawaii -- assuming I can get myself back on it when I get home. A bit of variety and satisfaction in having some new and different foods, and a bit of a calorie increase (without porking out!) he thinks would do me good, and certainly that feeling deprived and resentful if I forego something I really want to try won't be conducive to staying with it.

And I'm inherently cheap, so with $400+ worth of Medifast products sitting in the pantry, I'm pretty sure I WILL be going back on the plan when I get home -- I'm NOT going to waste that money! lol

The day I leave for Hawaii will be my 100th day on Medifast. I had hoped to be at 50 pounds by then, which would be just under 220. It seems like a good place for a week's break. But it now looks like I won't be there.

I'm blessed in one way: just like I never used to have hangovers if I imbibed too much alcohol (and man did the guys in law school hate me for that! ), I didn't have any problems at all with the three days at the beginning of Medifast. So I'm not dreading that part of it. And I look at the people on this board who went on vacation and went off plan while they did, and then jumped right back on it and achieved success: Rae, Mauva, and Mary are the first ones who come to mind. To all three of you ladies, thank you for being an excellent example of how to handle it!

This board is awesome, and I know you will help pull me back onto the train if I run into difficulty with it. Thank you for that!

[doglover]

I too plan to go off plan when I go to Jamaica on May 20. I know myself too well and I know that I love carribean fruit and I love all the different foods offered. I also know that I need to stay moderate, not pork out!

I also know one other thing - YOU AND I CAN DO THIS! We can get past this hurdle our mind/body set up for ourselves and we can do it. Remember studying in law school and all the long hours you put in? Did you ever think you just could not do that? But you did. Remember being pregnant for 9 months and thinking you were never going to make it? But you did. This will happen this time too. We will all be here before your trip and after. We'll get there together!
Donna

[itsgonnaworkthistime]

24K,

I was off plan for a total of 3 weeks. the first week was company travel, where I knew I wouldn't be able to follow plan, the 2nd week was my cruise and the final week was waiting for my new order to arrive.

I gained 7.5 pounds during those 3 weeks, and in the first day back on medifast I lost 4 of them. After 4 days, I had lost 9.5 pounds, which actually put me 2 pounds below my weight when I went off plan!!

I do think going off plan kind of re-energizes you. Not that I am suggesting that people go off plan in hopes of being re-energized, but when you have occasions such as going to Hawaii, or on a cruise, it really isn't such a horrible thing, as long as you have committed to going back on plan. In the 17 days back on plan I have dropped a total of 15.3 pounds.

Go on vacation, enjoy yourself. Indulge in the things you are dying to have, but don't over do it. When you get home get back on plan and the forum right away and you will be fine. I actually am anxious to see what happens. By the way, the first three days were much easier this time around. I had a bit of a headache, but that was it.

Take Care -

Maura

[raederle]

I'm with Donna and Maura! Vacations are for fun, not guilt. We all know you will be back to MF 100% after you return, and the weight, if you do gain whil you're away, will come off.

I know that expecting a stall in the 220's doesn't make it any more welcome, but at least you know you're not doing anything wrong-- and you're right: at 800 cals a day, your body just *can't* resist for much longer! Whether you bust through your plateau before Hawaii or after you return, you *will* bust through it. Besides, the only alternative to not busting through is to give up, walk away, and stay off MF forever... and we all know where *that* gets us!

Just think of Mike, Sylvia, Nancy, and Gerald... they had 70 to 100 and more pounds to go but didn't give up halfway there. (Gerald, where are you??? We miss you, Spidey!!!) They made it (some are still making it!), and we know you will, too.

Embrace the plateau... embrace the Hawaiian mangoes... embrace the pina coladas... then come back and embrace your shaker cup!

[bk]

I am visiting with family in June for a couple days, and am also planning to be a little more flexible with my program. I'm flying in late Thursday night (arrive midnight). Fortunately I can follow my program during the day Friday while everyone is at work, do a lean & green Friday night, and probably work in a shake or two and a bar on Saturday. I'm not sure about Sunday (I fly out sunday at midnight - probably another shake or two and a bar).

I would love to hear any suggestions on this (especially after you all return). I'm kind of private about all this stuff in regards to my family, so I am not advertising it. At most it will be three days half on program. I am hoping to stick to my program as much as possible while I am gone.

My dad is a weird eater, so he may not try to feed me anyways! I am definitely going to take enough supplies to get me through the weekend, just in case I can manage to do it.

[shirley]

Well I am not going to give you any more agreement around having what you want but I have to remind all that the truth is we are eating to live or living to eat and each side has it own benfits and downfalls..

living to eat is how I ended up weighing 240 lbs and my whole life was about when, where.how, and what am I going to eat next and not being very happy about it. I know that I am a food aloholic I can justifiy anything I am now looking at all of the advantage I have now with my 31 pounds gone and me being able to do some of the things that I could not physical do before. I have that 31pd. of rice in my living room so I can be reminded at anytime what I can have back at any given moment. So in saying that think about your consequence and have fun with what ever you decide. that my rap Shirley