The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[PJinCali]

Hi Robin,

I don't know how much it is at Costco but it is about $17 on Amazon. The other book, You the owners manual - is also fabulous. It is about how your whole body works and is broken down into logical areas of the body. Everything is written and explained in terms anyone can understand. It explains how things work but also how things can go wrong in your body. I really like how both books explain how hormones control so many things in your body and how certain foods can trigger some hormones. Really interesting.

PJ

[DogMa]

Hmmm. I don't think ANYone can explain my hormones. My family insists I'm some sort of alien. Which WOULD explain a lot ...

I'm just glad you're back in the groove.

[PJinCali]

Thanks Robin! I am very happy to be back on it too. I was really worried about being able to stick to it. I still have so much to lose but I am almost half way there. That is like a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

PJ

[DogMa]

But look at how far you've come!! 82 pounds is amazing. You should be so proud of yourself!

[PJinCali]

November 6, 2006 – Monday – I have updated my ticker to reflect my projected weight loss so I can be accountable to staying on track with the MF program. I entered the dates as far as I could without getting the “signature is too long” error. As I approach the last forecast I will delete some of the early losses to put in the forecast through to my goal weight. I need to have this information displayed publicly to keep me on track, especially through the holidays.

PJ

[PJinCali]

November 13, 2006 – Monday – I just noticed that I am one pound away from being half way to my goal. I am so happy I have lost 86 pounds I feel like a new person. I know it is going to take longer to lose the other half because I am losing an average of 2 pounds each week. I have increased my exercise routine and have really noticed the inches I have lost. If I wasn’t such a scale junkie I would stop weighing myself every day and just go by the inches. That is not going to happen right now because that darn scale calls to me every morning until I give in and weigh myself.

I was drinking only RTD shakes because they are so easy and require no thought or preparation. Now I am going into my stockpile of packets and adding more variety to my daily routine.

The dogs are helping me increase my activity level. Ginger, our Shepard/boxer mix, requires at least 45 minutes walking time each day. I take Roscoe and Ginger for a 20 minute walk then bring Roscoe home and take Ginger back out for another 25-30 minutes. She has a lot of energy! Emmie does not go on walks yet, she is too little to keep up with the other dogs and she has only had one of her shots. We play fetch with her in the back yard and make her follow us while we run back and forth in the yard. She is a little bundle of energy and wants attention all the time. I am so happy we got the other two dogs. Roscoe loves having playmates and even though she is terminally ill, her energy level is way up and she is much happier. It is going to be devastating to all of when she dies. We are trying to make her life as great as it can be while she is still here.

[DogMa]

Darn it. I answered this, but it was one of the lost posts and I'm on my way out the door right now. But I know how you feel about Roscoe. Good for you for making her remaining time as happy and comfortable as you can. My Maggie's in good health (other than arthritis and two knee surgeries), but she's getting pretty old and I'm dreading the inevitable. I don't know what Teemu and I will do without her.

Enjoy every day you have with Roscoe (and the others). They're truly a gift.

[PJinCali]

Saturday – November 18, 2006 – I finally started going to the gym (Yay me!). Friday I went with a friend and today I went alone. I have to stay off the treadmill for a while because my knees are acting up so I decided to try the Elliptical machine. So Friday I did 35 minutes and my legs felt like spaghetti! That machine really works my thigh muscles. I can feel it right in the front of my thighs. Then I did some work on the weight machines. My lower body is really strong so I really should concentrate on upper body but Friday I wanted to see how these machines work so I did both. I also did abs and a machine that works the butt muscles. I did 3 sets of 15 each at various weights to really test myself.

Saturday Nick had a gig down in Orange County and after that his bandmates and girlfriends wanted to go to a movie. Since the gym and movie theater are in the same complex, I went to the gym while they went to the movies (since I had to drive them anyway). This time I did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, inner and outer thighs on the weight machines, front and back of arms on weight machines, abs and 30 minutes on recumbent bike.

I noticed that I am very hungry after going to the gym and had to eat my L&G to be satisfied. I drink lots of water before, during and after the workout so I know it is really hunger and not thirst. Also, it is TTOM (day one today) so that might be part of the hunger thing.

More later…

[PJinCali]

Sunday – November 19, 2006 – BLAH! I have this time of the month! Cramps suck and so does almost everything else today! I am going to do the “You on a Diet” workout and either walk the dogs or walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes.

I got some new Nioxin today and it makes my hair stiffer than the old one. It is not as runny because it is foam but I think it puts too much on my scalp at once. It feels like I sprayed too much hair spray on my hair or something. Maybe it is just my crappy mood. The Nioxin is not working yet but I am not giving up. I am going to get my hair cut and colored next week and I am hoping the thinning will not be as noticeable with shorter hair.

We are doing Thanksgiving at my house this year and some of my son Anthony’s’ friends are coming to dinner because they don’t have family. We always have a great time celebrating Thanksgiving. I love having everyone here eating and laughing and going through all the photos together. We are going to try and take our holiday photo next weekend so we have time to turn it into cards to send to the family and friends in Michigan. It is hard to believe it is already Thanksgiving. It is such a busy time of year for us. We have Thanksgiving, then my birthday, then Angela’s birthday, then Christmas, New Years, then Aaron’s birthday. It’s a party from now until January 10th. I am going to stay on plan so I can reach the goals I have documented for everyone to see.

Angela and I went to see the Dixie Chicks Documentary. It was really good but maybe because we both love the Dixie Chicks. We have committed that we will do some sort of outing or activity at least once a week. Even it is just going to the gym together. I am so happy she is will to give up her time so we can continue to stay close. She has the busiest life of all my offspring. She is very dedicated to her career and her friends but her family is a priority too. I just love that girl so much : )

More later..

[DogMa]

Good job on the gym, but be careful about overdoing it. Medifast really doesn't give you enough calories to support a lot of weight training. (Also, be sure to work your hamstrings (back of your thighs) and not just your quadriceps (front of your thighs). I've read that women often do that, and it can lead to knee problems.

[PJinCali]

Thanks Robin,

I did try a machine that is for the back of the thighs. You lie on your stomach add the appropriate amount of weight then push up on this padded bar thingy with your foot. It says it works your butt and back of thigh muscles. Can you suggest some that I can do at home (since I don't have the cool machines here).

I have learned my lesson about over doing it. Usually I go crazy for about two weeks then get burned out and stop. I am not going to do that this time. I have a friend that will go with me a couple times a week and my son will go if I ask. They are all helping me by keeping me on track : )

I appreciate your advice because you have been on the same program and know the limitations of the diet.

Thanks again Robin, your comments are always welcome

PJ

[DogMa]

I use that same machine. I've been looking for some stuff to do at home, too, though, for when I'm away (like this week). This stuff looks good:

www dot bodyresults dot com slash E2Hamstrings dot asp

I've done the deadlifts, but not the rest. I'm going to try a few when I'm away, though, if I can't get to a gym.

[PJinCali]

December 5, 2006 – WOW! Has it really been that long since I made a journal entry!?! I have been really busy getting my life on track.

I don’t think I have ever mentioned that my husband (of 17 years) and I are separated. We have been separated for about 3 years and it has been very hard on everyone. The thing is we really love each other but are both stubborn and have to be right all the time. Neither of us has even thought of divorcing or being with anyone else during our time apart, we just didn’t know how to get unstuck. Well, in October I put the whole situation in Gods hands. So the other night I could not sleep and I text messaged him on his cell phone at 2am. I wrote “I miss you. I’m sorry I hurt you. I miss being able to talk to you.” That is all it took for him to call me and for us to start talking again. I have been spending almost every free moment with him and am so happy to be back with him I can’t even contain myself. It is very confusing for all the offspring but we are all talking about it. We both admit to being stupid for holding onto the anger and hurt for so long and for being too stubborn to make the first move toward reconciliation. It is so incredibly sad that we have missed 3 years of each other’s lives. It is a good thing I take so many photographs because I have been able to catch him up on lots of the major events over the last 3 years. We are not sure how we are going to merge our lives back together but we are taking each day as it comes, talking about EVERYTHING, and working towards getting back together.

The diet and exercise has been very easy since this happened. I have so many endorphins running though my system right now I am almost floating!

I am a happy happy girl!

PJ

[dede4wd]

That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you! Take your time, make sure you're comfortable with each step you take and enjoy this!

DeDe

[bikipatra]

How very wonderful for you. Enjoy this time.