The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[LeeannNH]

hi everyone

it has been weeks since i have been able to sit down and REALLY READ the forum. i feel like i have fallen off the mf map. i have missed this so much! i also feel like i have been loose on my program, well lets say i HAVE been loose on my program and i am here to come clean with all of you.

i have recovered perfectly from my surgery and didnt run into any trouble with my meal plan until thanksgiving. i decided to take a break for a couple of days and get back on the weight train. those couple of days turned into a week. and those days sort of overlapped into my restart's lean and green.

i havent weighed for many reasons, the biggest is that what you dont know you dont have to acknowledge and i wanted to wait to weigh in after i had a full solid week. also, i never weigh the week of TTOTM which is coming in a day or 2. but i decided to weigh myself today to be honest with myself and am sad to report that i have GAINED 10 pounds, which means i have to be DOWN-graded to the 50# club. ill need to email UNCA. i have been too liberal with my lean and green since thanksgiving and have not been eating on time. before thanksgiving i had run into my first plateau, floating between 65-68 pounds off. i guess my body really held on to the stuffing and has been really pleased with my bigger lean and green portions.

im back on track STRICT TRACK that is. i am ashamed of myself. i was 30 pounds from goal and now i am 40 pounds. im feeling VERY DEPRESSED. im not going to quit, i just need to hear from folks that have had this kind of massive gain.

any comments, criticisms, advice, rantings would be greatly appreciated. you guys all rock and thank you in advance.


ugh
leeann

[LAwoman]

Good evening LeeannNH,

I can relate in so many ways.

I had lost 60+ pounds from March to July and "took a break" this summer only to gain 1/2 the weight back by the fall. Well I restarted in September and October and then again in November.

I admit to certain unhelpful thoughts like, If I had just stuck to it, I would be at goal by now. I look at several MFers who started around the same as I did and that are at or very close to goal.

But you know what's even more significant...
*This time I caught myself before gaining back ALL the weight (andas in the past, usually more.)
*This time I didn't use the ol' holiday eating I'll wait until the new year excuse, 'cause now I'll be 10 or 20 pounds lighter when 2006 rolls around instead of heavier.
*This time I'll learn from my past mistake and go all the way to goal and maintenance. (Maybe this past mistake was just a reminder so I never gain it back again. Who knows.)

Don't be ashamed. Be proud of yourself for getting back to MF so you can lose that weight and feel and look your best.

I keep telling myself. Summer is just 6 months away, and it's coming no matter what I do. Do I want to be were I am now? heavier? or at goal?
WE CHOOSE GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back, cheers to us, we're going to do it this time. See you in Thinsville were we'll both be able to fit

[LeeannNH]

lawoman:

girl i never thought about it that way!
i did stop before i gained it back!!!!

you rock for telling me that, that is a HUGE success and congrats to you for having the same experience. im glad we are on the same restart path. its tough shakin the shame. isnt it amazing how we can see the positive in others and only see the negative in ourselves? i have always gained back and put off the diet by the week and i definitely hear ya on the "ill wait until jan 1" excuse. boy have i been there for the last 10+ years! ha ha!

i appreciate your feedback and i will keep tabs on you and you do the same. we can do this and it would be cool to have someone to check in with if you are game!

hang in there, girlfriend! we rock!

leeann

[Jan]

*This time I'll learn from my past mistake and go all the way to goal and maintenance

This is most likely the most important thing you said. It really is about maintenance. It's sad to think that 85% of people on all programs regain their lost weight if they don't have a maintenance program. It's about self control ,discipline, and monitoring ourselves.We learn from past mistakes. You may be a little heavier but you are much much smarter. Good for you!!
jan

[LeeannNH]

its funny but i have never been on maintenance on anything diet related. ive been able to maintain being fat! and maintain gaining. it will be an interesting avenue to take: maintaining a healthy smaller body!

im excited to try it!
leeann

[Unca_Tim]

OK....i want BOTH you girls to go sit in the corner until you realize what a GREAT job you've done so far. Look at how far you've come and the great success you've had. The numbers are a way to keep score, but aren't near as important as the things you've learned coming this far.

OK....you can come out now....

[LeeannNH]

unca you are awesome!

we'll get through this mess of fat one way or another. i feel very confident...so far so good on day one!

thanks for your help with the club update and for your words of encouragement

your mf buddy
leeann

[LAwoman]

Leeann, I also relate to the being so forgiving and supportive with others and so hard on myself. But it looks like we're being pretty good to ourselves right now too which is great!!!

Besides, did you hear, we get to come out of the corner now, so behave so we don't get sent back.

I'm definitely looking at the lessons I've learned, the success I've had and trying to move forward with that. - Thanks for your supportive and kind words unca.

Can't wait to toast the new year to a lighter, healthier me.

LAwoman

[Mommy2girls]

Leanne, I too have fallen off the posting wagon and haven't had much time to come visit here and see all my old friends!!!

I am confident that you can reach your goals. This was a temporary setback, but a very important lesson for you, (you too LA Woman!) I am SO right there with ya about being able to maintain being fat or gaining weight! Never had a problem there!

Anyway, you can and will reach your goals. I have to remind myself that this is not a race, and while I'm still crawling towards my goal (I know my ticker says that I'm a few lbs away from my goal, but really I need to tack another 30lbs on to that original 55lbs!) This is not a race to the finish, we all need to get there in a way that works for us and be ready to face the challeneges of maintenance....that is the truest test of all!

As for me, I'm staying the same weight BUT, not the way maintenance was intended. I will do well for a week, lose a few lbs, then go off on the weekends, or for a week, gain a few, get back on, lose a few, gain a few, lose a few, you get the picture. I KNOW that is not exactly how maintenance is supposed to be done, because I could do without the "gain a few" and I KNOW it. However, the next couple of weeks are really going to test me as I have my daughters 5th birthday party and then we have relatives coming from out of town to STAY for 2 weeks! I will be excited to see them and I'm looking forward to it but I just know it will be impossible to stay on my plan and be 100% compliant. So at this rate, if I still am down –50ish pounds come January 1st, then I will consider that a triumph and continue on the train to thinsville, when I can better concentrate on ME!

Good to "see" you Leanne, and welcome back with open arms, you can and will get through this, and we are all here to applaude along the way!

[LeeannNH]

hi sheila

thanks for your encouragement. i cant believe how similar we are. the ups the downs, the compliance, the gains, etc. it is really amazing isnt it?

when i think about being heavy and i think about what that means to me, it can make me feel very isolated and a bit hopeless. when i read what people like you write on the forum, i find myself filled with hope and filled with a sense of community that i have never known.

i have friends that are always complaining about a few vanity pounds (5-10) and they do not understand the will and constant fight it is for someone like me to really get down to the reasons for my weight gain much less losing the weight itself.

if we all come to this forum, we will succeed. i truly believe that. the reason? my belief is that there is strength in numbers and strength in having a common goal. this may sound cliche but its what i find comforting. i know how hard these weeks have been for me staying off line. the isolation really crept in and so did the food.

thanks so much for everything! i totally know that you will make your goal and you will be ready for jan. 1 girl! we can all do this if we talk about it and cheer for the good times and hold each other up in the hard times.

also, good luck with the visitors!

take care
leeann

[Serendipity]

About the maintaining thing, lol. When I got into my complaining mode before MF, I used to say that 270 must be my set point because it was so easy to maintain......sheeeez. Sicko. I was fooling myself into believing that I was accomplishing something by just maintaining.....you know....."at least I'm not gaining". I pretty much maintained by eating large quantities, lol.

I think alot about maintaining after MF......but there won't be an "after MF" for me. I will continue to use the MF products.

I can't really relate about falling off the wagon, but do sympathize with the struggle. I lost all my weight (113 lb) 15 yrs ago, not one cheat, but fell off the maintenance wagon immediately. It has taken me that long to get my head back on straight. Lots of regret there, but we all must look ahead to what the future brings......all good from where I'm looking.

[Hyperion]

Serendipity,

I can so understand what you mean. I lost 60 lbs when I was 19, bringing myself to 180, which is really fine (I'll post pic of me when I'm at that weight).

But in less than 3 years, I took 80 pounds!!!!!

Now I'm back on track, and when I think about maintenance, I forget about pizza, donuts, etc. I think about how delightful sushi will be, along with a delicious glass of red wine. Or I think about rice mixed with steamed vegetables, or a delicious tuna salad.

I CAN'T WAIT

I also am looking forward to do some underwater diving (I don't know if it's the right word in english)... Taking lessons next spring, and then exploring some lakes at summer. There are some places here that are beautiful (you can go at where some boat sunk). My goal is in two years, to go visit the Empress of Ireland. Long way to go until then

I imagine myself at summer weekends, going into some natural reserve, camping with friends at night, all around a nice warm fire, just in front of a lake when we can swim and I'm no longer ashamed of myself!

Or going to my parent's summer place, and entering the tiny window because I don't have the key, then landing on the sink (Haha I did that years ago when I was rebelious and made parties at this place, now I got a key )

The best was probably when me and my girlfriend got lost in the middle of nowhere and we slept in my old tiny car (a Chevrolet Geo Metro). Lol, the next morning, we were good to go like some vivid younglings Last time I tried that, the next morning, my bones were so screaming to death due to lack of exercise!!

I guess I can say I look brightly at the future and at how my current work will serve me in "maintenance" mode, which I look most like "real life" mode

[Serendipity]

Hype,

If I remember right, you're in your 20's right? You are so lucky to have already learned what it took me years and years to learn. I hope you learn from this program that maintenance takes more work than losing and that with the help of this group and the MF products, we will succeed together.

I'm tellin' your mother! Shame on you for sneakin' in the summer home, lol. My boyfriend (before he was my husband) and I used to drive to his family cabin and break in the way only he knew how......brings back good memories. We've been married for almost 30 yrs. and it's still fun.....most of the time, lol. And we don't have to sneak anymore.

I think the word you're looking for is Scuba diving? That sounds like so much fun. I've always been afraid to try anything that requires putting on a rubber wet suit, lolol

[Unca_Tim]

Careful Folks,
Never...EVER...EVER eat chili before putting on your wet suit....

[Lauren]

That's just too funny, Unca. I keep worrying about the poor soul inside if someone sticks a pin in it!