December JUDDD/Alternate Day Diet (We can do hard things...)

[Ilpirata]

Getting Started

There are two phases: weight loss and maintainance. To lose weight, calorie intake on the “down” day is limited to 20% to 35% of daily calorie requirement, although it is strongly recommended that calories be below 25% when starting a weight loss diet. To maintain weight loss and for optimal health, down day intake is kept at 50% to 60% of calorie needs.

Use the following tool (go to Dr JOhnsons website for this) to calculate the down day calorie requirements. There is a strong tendency for overweight individuals to overestimate the "Activity" level, thereby allowing themselves high calorie allowance on the down day. To avoid this problem, for the first two weeks, you should consume no more than 500 calories on the down day regardless of your activity level.

Please google Dr. Johnsons site to find the Up Day Down Day Calorie Calculator

*This calculator provides an estimate of your calorie requirement so that you can determine your down day calories. The "Normal Calories" shown may be more or less than you actually feel like eating on the up day. The important principle is to adhere to the down day calorie limit as closely as possible. You do not have to eat all the calories shown as "Normal Calories".


Hunger Management

The key to success on the down day is learning what works for you. Remember that you can eat tomorrow. The book will detail useful techniques for down day hunger management.


Diet Stress

Other diets require daily reduction in calorie intake or limit the type of food eaten. This requires intricate meal plans and menus, cooking separate meals, and often more expensive foods. This wastes a lot of time and creates great stress. With the Johnson UpDayDownDay Diet™, you are allowed to eat whatever you want on the up day and your choices are greatly simplified on the down day, markedly reducing stress.


Energy level/mood

We have observed a consistent, measurable dramatic increase in energy level which is noticeable within 7-10 days which peaks around three weeks on the diet. This is consistent with animal studies in calorie restriction. This is a desirable and reinforcing sensation which encourages you to keep going.



The Up Day

On the up day, you can eat anything you want and as much as you want, but do not intentionally over eat.

When starting out, it is important to not concern yourself with up day calorie intake because of the phenomena of diet stress and diet fatigue. Focus on staying under 20-25% on the down day.

Based on animal research, the type of food eaten on the up day is unimportant compared to adhering to the down day calorie limit. This will activate genes (SIRT1) which set in motion the beneficial processes which produce optimal health.

The Down Day

It is important to commit in advance to a certain number of calories on the down day. We strongly suggest 20 – 25% for the first two weeks, but find that 30 - 35% is more tolerable for some people for a prolonged period of dieting. The lower the calories on the down day, the better, but the most important thing is to find a caloric intake you can comply with on ongoing basis.

We strongly suggest using only commercially prepared shakes in the first two weeks. Later, prepared foods with the calorie content marked on them can be eaten.. This is critically important to help guard against the universal tendency to underestimate how much we are eating.

Body Weight

How much you lose depends on several factors, the average in our study was 2.5 pounds per week, more the first week or two.

You should weigh yourself only on the morning after a down day and not more often than once a week or fluctuations will lead to frustration.

Down Day Recipes

It is important to choose a shake which is personally tolerable and satisfying. There are a number on the market including Atkins Advantage, Slim Fast Optima, MetRx. For weight loss diet, it is highly advisable that for the first two weeks, you consume only shakes on the down day.

Delicious, easy, very low calorie recipes are available in the soon to be published book, The Johnson UpDayDownDay Diet™.

What People On The Diet Have To Say
“I will never diet any other way. I lost 30 pounds three years ago which I have kept off without the awful feeling of being on the diet.” – Heidi P.
“There was never a time in my entire life when I wasn’t wheezing from asthma until after being on the diet for two weeks.” – Theresa G.
“I couldn’t walk 50 feet without resting. After three weeks on the diet, I spent all day walking around the shopping mall.” – Ellen M.
“My rheumatoid arthritis got better 31 days after starting the diet.” – Judy L.
For more information, visit Dr. Johnson's website, or read his book,
"The Alternate-Day Diet: Turn on Your 'Skinny Gene,' Shed the Pounds, and Live a Longer and Healthier Life."

[Redeemed]

Too tired! Yep. It's December. Here are my two posts today that I posted on the Nov. Thread:

Originally Posted by Redeemed

Attachment 26211 Hope everyone has a nice Tuesday. Yesterday's DD was a little hard in the evening. I do prefer hot cereal as a means to hold off hunger, but I managed. I'm putting myself on a "No Snack" challenge for today - just three meals. Weight loss has stalled. I know I'm eating too much on UD's. Soooo, it's back to counting calories on UD's.

To quote GrammyPat: "Where's Ilpirata and Bill?

Originally Posted by Redeemed

Snaggle: I have a bad habit of not weighing when I know I'm eating too much. But, that's the time when I really need to weigh. It's such a good wake up call when I weigh. EmandM said a few posts back that she did best when weighing every two weeks. That would work for me if I knew I was staying on plan. But, I think I'm going to weigh every Sat. from now on so that will be my alarm clock.

[Leo41]

Thanks for starting us off, Kisha! I, of course, didn't even notice that it's now December

Just got my second shipment of my 'personal' bars to use when traveling. They will come in handy when I stay over at my sister's at Christmas.

I wanted to eliminate all sugars, so I told them to take out the dates, which really made my last batch taste great! Now, they taste more like bitter chocolate, but I'm happier--200 cal., 11g protein, 16g fat, and only 2 carbs. I use them for meal replacement when I can't get decent, low carb food when I'm away from home.

[snaggle]

Just posting to say hi to Kisha!! and subscribe.
Thanks for posting our december thread hon!
-
Don't beat yourself up-- just do a down day or two and you should un-do any harm!

Goal for the week: get in 3 down days before MAY-HEEE-KO! ole!

Goal for December: week 1- maintain at 146.5
week 2- vacation-- eat and drink what I want, but walk a lot and
swim every day. Stop when I am just shy of full.
week 3- lose the weight I gained on vacation
Xmas week-- maintain til new years, getting in at least a couple
of down days.
January-- Back to true alternation, no sugar, no drinks!

[nitenurse]

Having a dd, and realize I must plan ahead better for uds. Been reading the posts, and see that most of you plan the day before what you will eat, and the calories thereof. Gonna try to stick with the winners and do that.
Thanks for starting the new month.

[EmandM]

Thanks Kisha and like others have said, you will get right back on track. You are resilient!

Leo - Those bars sound great, especially when travelling!

Nitenurse - I definately plan my DD's. As for my UD's I usually have a general idea, but I also like to eat intuitively on UD's. So I go for what will really satisfy me. My UD's are a bit like organized chaos, or freedom within limitations! It's not a free-for-all but I definately have foods for pleasure in there!

Snaggle - sounds like a great goal, and I agree with whoever posted about a range. I was always fixated on one specific number and then mamapo make me realize that it should be a range. I found things much easier once I accepted that. So if I get to the top of my range, I take a look at what I've been eating. When I am near the bottom I am a little more flexible with my eating.

Redeemed - yes, once every two weeks works for me, and up until recently I was a total slave to the scale. I can always tell what my weight is by my clothes anyway, so I don't really need to weigh even every two weeks. But there is something oddly comforting and habitual about it. Strange but true.

Anyone started their Christmas shopping yet?

[Leo41]

Snaggle-

Looks like a good plan--realistic, and enabling you to enjoy your vacation. Keep thinking how far you've come! To lose all that weight is an accomplishment in itself, and you really have a very positive and do-able plan for maintenance. You should be really proud of yourself

Nitenurse-

I've always maintained that planning is key for me. I actually plan a week at a time because that's how I shop at the supermarket--i.e., I buy mainly the things I need for my meal plans. I always have some flexibility (e.g., I have a lot of frozen veggies on hand and can choose a different one than I'd planned initially; same with my protein choices). For DDs, I have a few 100-150 calorie options, and I usually decide the day before what I'll have the following day. But I never eat without counting in advance because those calories can really add up quickly.

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by EmandM

Thanks Kisha and like others have said, you will get right back on track. You are resilient!

Leo - Those bars sound great, especially when travelling!

Nitenurse - I definately plan my DD's. As for my UD's I usually have a general idea, but I also like to eat intuitively on UD's. So I go for what will really satisfy me. My UD's are a bit like organized chaos, or freedom within limitations! It's not a free-for-all but I definately have foods for pleasure in there!

Snaggle - sounds like a great goal, and I agree with whoever posted about a range. I was always fixated on one specific number and then mamapo make me realize that it should be a range. I found things much easier once I accepted that. So if I get to the top of my range, I take a look at what I've been eating. When I am near the bottom I am a little more flexible with my eating.

Redeemed - yes, once every two weeks works for me, and up until recently I was a total slave to the scale. I can always tell what my weight is by my clothes anyway, so I don't really need to weigh even every two weeks. But there is something oddly comforting and habitual about it. Strange but true.

Anyone started their Christmas shopping yet?

Ugh...Christmas shopping! I think we'll do what we did a couple of years back. My husband, son and I determine what we would have spent on Christmas gifts, then take that amount and send it to an orphanage. We had a nice Christmas dinner and NO PRESENTS!! It was the best Christmas ever.

[Leo41]

Redeemed-

What a nice thing to do! My family needs to do something like this because no one really 'needs' anything, and that money could be put to so much better use. However, if I suggest it, I know that my 17-year-old niece would have a heart attack

We buy toys for children at church, so I've been participating in the toy buy each year.

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Redeemed-

What a nice thing to do! My family needs to do something like this because no one really 'needs' anything, and that money could be put to so much better use. However, if I suggest it, I know that my 17-year-old niece would have a heart attack

We buy toys for children at church, so I've been participating in the toy buy each year.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how your niece responds. My son was a little stunned at first at the suggestion, but admitted afterward, he felt really good about that particular Christmas. My favorite charity is the Panzi Hospital in the Congo. I think our Christmas money will go there this year.

[Ilpirata]

Okay, I'm gonna go for a DD tomorrow. It will be my first one since last Wednesday. I've planned it out with 1 cup unsweeteend almond breeze (with coffee), 1 cup unsweetened SO Delicious Coconut Milk (with coffee), 3 whole large eggs & 1 cup egg whites (I'll make an omelette/scramble thingy)

Totals will be:

Calories 433
Fat 23.3 210 49 %
Carbohydrate 5.9 23 5 %
Dietary Fiber 1.0
Protein 47.4 199 46 %
Alcohol 0.0 0 0 %

[EmandM]

My kids are only 3.5 and they love buying toys for other kids who are less fortunate. We picked some up today and they never once asked for anything for themselves (which is very impressive since we walked past the barbie aisle twice)! We don't go crazy, but we will be buying gifts for our immediate families. It's lovely to watch Christmas through the eyes of young children.

[Redeemed]

Originally Posted by EmandM

My kids are only 3.5 and they love buying toys for other kids who are less fortunate. We picked some up today and they never once asked for anything for themselves (which is very impressive since we walked past the barbie aisle twice)! We don't go crazy, but we will be buying gifts for our immediate families. It's lovely to watch Christmas through the eyes of young children.

That's wonderful, EmandM!

Kisha: I'm rooting for you and your DD tomorrow - you can do it!!

[caramel]

Kisha thanks for starting this new thread, I too had totally forgotten December was upon us. Just finished all my christmas shopping and wrapping, this is the first year I've done this.


Snaggle great plan for the holidays I find that if I plan my eating plans before hand I have better success at them. This will be a very busy month for me with the parties, get-togethers so I plan on working out and maintaining this month.


Well Here's to a great December!

[GrammyPat]

Thank you Kisha for starting the December thread. I'm lost without you guys, and have never posted on forums before. Now I see the benefit of having support groups for weight loss or anything! Good luck with your DD today...I missed seeing your pretty picture, and your posts! so welcome back!

Had a good DD yesterday and actually took time last night to write down the food for today's UD, the calories in my journal. Leo, when I had my 4 sons at home, I too planned by the week - did the menus and based the shopping list on that. But I never did it for weight loss! How clever you are! Maybe I'll get to that stage...for me, it's baby steps so I'm happy to be planning the next day in advance for now.

Another tweak I'm using is no carbs after 5pm. I know for me this is a good thing since carbs hold 5x their weight in water (I think it's that much), carbs at dinner cause me to gain weight!

Caramel, you are so ahead of the power curve! We're not finished the shopping, but most of what we bought has been wrapped. Like you, I wanted to take the nightmare out of wrapping and do it as I brought stuff in. So congratulations to you for having this part of Christmas done! Good job, and good job maintaining your weight loss!!!

[Leo41]

Kisha-

You CAN do this! I'm on a DD myself and really need a good one because I think I had 5 meals yesterday on my UD I'll be rooting for both of us today. The downside of losing last week is that I can feel my body struggling to gain this week

EmandM-
I envy you those toddlers. Christmas is best when you have small children in the house. You should be able to 'maintain' just keeping up with them!

GrammyPat-
I learned about planning menus before shopping from my mother, who had five children. I would see her sitting at the kitchen table writing out her shopping list from her menus, and that's how I've always done it for myself, although I often "plan" the menus mentally, since I'm only buying for myself--and the cat.

I understand that carbs at dinner can result in water weight if you weigh the next morning, but way back when I first read the Carbohydrate Addicts' Diet, their plan was carbs only in the evening because carbs could spur hunger, which was best dealt with by sleeping. They speculated that if you have carbs earlier in the day, you're likely to experience so much hunger that you'll overeat. That's what happens to me with carbs, but if carbs don't affect you that way, you're fine (and I envy you:-)

[Redeemed]

1590299e6k8ff1c1p.gif Hope everyone has a nice Wednesday. DD here. I have an app't. with my doctor at 9 AM to talk about thyroid stuff and get lab work. I work tonight from 11 PM to 8 AM - my only night shift is on Wednesdays. So, I'll try to wait until 9 PM and have hot cereal. That should carry me through the night. If not, I'll bring something just in case.

[Ilpirata]

OMG! Thanks so much for the support my friends. I was tempted to eat a regular breakfast but rememebered I'd comitted on here to a DD LOL.

So I cooked up my eggs (three whole and 1 cup egg whites). I went the splenda and cinnamon and vanilla route with them. I'll nosh (Thats a Zer word I miss her!) on those throughout the day. I'm also open to some vegetables later if necessary.

I'll be at work all day which is usually a piece of cake for a DD. Then after work I have a brief stop at home to change and I'm headed over the hill to Santa Cruz for a Metal Show. There's no eating at Metal Shows! LOL. So its the perfect day for me to tackle a DD.

Feeling good!

ETA: O! And RIGHT NOW I'm going to plan my UD for tomorrow to make sure I stick to a good plan. I know (don't we all LOL) that planning is the key for me to keep my UDs in control. I'm gonna see if I can come in at 1800 cals and I'm going for about 35 g of carbs. I'll see what I can come up with (my cupboards are pretty bare right now but I'll work with what I've got)

[Leo41]

That's the spirit, Kisha! If you think you're hungry, just say, "I'll eat that tomorrow." That always worked for us in the beginning.

It's interesting to me that you woke up and thought you'd have a 'normal breakfast' because that's what's been happening to me recently. Usually, as soon as I remember that it's a DD, I focus on DD things and don't yearn for my normal food. DDs had become fairly routine for me.

But just recently, I wake, note that it's a DD, and still want a 'normal' breakfast. I've attributed that to my body trying to trick me into gaining--what it always wants. Perhaps your body is doing something similar.

I used to think that I had to battle my craving for food, but now I think that I'm battling my body's determination to gain weight

[GrammyPat]

Good morning everyone! (Redeemed, I don't know where you get those gorgeous graphics, but this would be the place for it!. Just reporting on my UD yesterday; all went as planned UNTIL my DH and I went to a local grocery store where they had meat and seafood on sale for $5 a package! They actually had wild caught Louisiana gulf shrimp...I haven't had wild shrimp in a really looooong time. Then I saw they had bleu cheese crumbles.....had to have those on my salad! So after we got our "haul" into the house, we had steamed shrimp - OMG they tasted soooo good! and a side salad of spinach (mine had bleu cheese) - OMG the bleu cheese actually tasted sweet! I've never had that in a restaurant...soo good. But then I had to have something sweet so I had 3 choc chip cookies. Not a disaster, but a distinct deviation from the plan. Sure am glad today is a DD! and I picked up cucumbers at the grocery store too. We got some thin-sliced ham (33 cals/slice) so I'll add that to my eggbeaters this morning. I'm taking a page from EmandM's book and making sure I eat things I really like on those UD's and last night was spot on!

Kisha, how did your DD go yesterday? You surely had a plan for success going! and Oncenforall, are you OK? we haven't heard from you in awhile. And Redeemed, how did your DD go and your doctor's appt go? Hope everything is OK for you. Leo, I'm sure you're right about your body trying to gain that weight back! I equate it to water trying to seek the highest level or something like that. You've been heavier for a long time and your body was happy with that....now you've gone and changed that, so your body is not used to the change and will try vigorously to resist that. Didn't Dr. J. equate it to an alligator brain wanting to eat all the time? You are doing so well! how did your DD go yesterday?

[Leo41]

GrammyPat-
It's a good thing I'd begun an UD when I read about your shrimp--something I've been craving lately. It all sounded so delicious, and I'm sure you didn't do much damage with a couple of cookies--it was an UD after all

I got through (barely) with 400 cal on my DD; that's my limit. It's so odd to go to sleep hungry and not be hungry the next morning. I keep reminding myself of that when I think I need to eat more on a DD.

BloodSugar101 [Jenny] has posted on the Main Lobby about the phenomenon of the body resisting weight loss. It's apparently very true from a scientific standpoint, and that's the reason that maintenance is so difficult. That's why Snaggle is correct that the longer she's in the 140s, the more it will seem 'natural' for her body, and it will be easier for her to maintain.

I've noticed that when I have a significant loss (like last week), I will be far more hungry in the days that follow, and even if I keep my calories down, I probably won't show a loss on the scale for a couple of weeks. The body equates weight loss with danger and fights it.

Depressing, isn't it

[Redeemed]

1599677hj4hzs2xeq.gif Hi everyone! I'm still at work. I have permission to bring my laptop and use it during the night. I started my UD at 2 AM. So far, so good. My doctor app't went great. My doc decreased my Cytomel, wrote a script for Thyroid from Canada and increased hctz, bhrt cream. I don't like to use hctz, but have been so bloated -my hunch from the Cytomel. I'll probably get the results of my thyroid panel and cortisol late this afternoon some time.

[nitenurse]

Hi everyone-agree with everything about our bodies fighting weight loss-I have this mental image that everytime I go on a diet it screams "Oh, No, that crazy woman is trying to kill us again. Everybody to battle stations!"
Oh, well, it is just trying to keep me alive.
DD today, yesterday went well, today I am focusing on a chinese place that has a really good chicken egg drop soup.
Good luck everyone.

[onceNforall]

Originally Posted by GrammyPat

Kisha, how did your DD go yesterday? You surely had a plan for success going! and Oncenforall, are you OK? we haven't heard from you in awhile. And Redeemed, how did your DD go and your doctor's appt go? Hope everything is OK for you. Leo, I'm sure you're right about your body trying to gain that weight back! I equate it to water trying to seek the highest level or something like that. You've been heavier for a long time and your body was happy with that....now you've gone and changed that, so your body is not used to the change and will try vigorously to resist that. Didn't Dr. J. equate it to an alligator brain wanting to eat all the time? You are doing so well! how did your DD go yesterday?

God bless you, Grammy Pat, for mentioning me. It's so easy to just keep lurking and not getting back on the wagon, but seeing my name is like a gentle little kick in the butt! I still haven't claimed a successful DD this week, but haven't given up. I have been trying to just eat in moderation, but those carbs keep calling my name.

I have such problems with "success/failure" issues. If I choose a WOE that has strict rules, when I go off plan I feel like I've "blown it" and then feel like a failure and then usually just feel like "what the heck" and am right back eating everything in sight. I've been toying with the idea of just trying to get in the groove of cutting my portions and not restricting myself in anyway other than to only eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm satisfied. I figure that way, there's no way I'll feel like I've "cheated" and maybe when I get my stomach shrunk some I'll retry JUDD. (Then again, this may all be my latest rationalization for not getting back on the wagon, cause it sure isn't working ).

I'm not sure what my problem is, but I'm still here struggling every day. Leo...I look at your self discipline and determination and motivation and think...WHY CAN'T I DO THAT? I need to think of my health with every bite also!! I'm verging on diabetes for sure, taking meds for cholesterol and BP, have been told to lose 75lb before I can have a knee replacement....what more impetus do I need? Why does food have such a strangle hold on me? It is all so depressing. I have been struggling with my weight my entire life and I'm just so tired of it. I don't want to die still struggling and never having won this battle with food.

[Ilpirata]

Well I did it! (pretty much) I went over 500 just barely but I'm calling a succesfull DD for yesterday. My first one in a week! Today I've got my UD all planned out ahead of time (haven't done that in awhile!) I'll be coming in at approx 1850 calories which is a good good controlled UD for me.

Thanks again for all your support... I've been wandering and I've had some real bad days in the last few months... Its you guys that help me come back again and again! And thanks to JUDD even with my less than stellar eating and less than stellar sticking to plan I'm still in sig weight neighborhood and aiming to enter 2010 fifteen pounds lighter than I entered 2009.

[Leo41]

Sherrie-

I really feel for you because I'm convinced that this process of weight loss is 99% mental. If I were so disciplined, I wouldn't have wound up at 300+ lbs just a few years ago. It's just that I'm in a place that makes this possible, but I don't know how I got here, and I can't advise you how to get here either. (I'm just trying to stay 'here' because I know how quickly I could gain if not for JUDDD and low carb.)

I have a niece who is 17 now, but has had a weight problem all her life. When she was about 8, her mother got a referral to a pediatric endocrinologist and learned that she's very insulin resistant. However, the endo warned my sister that my niece didn't see any problem with her weight, and her mother could not 'put her on a diet' because that has to come from the individual. At 17, she wants to lose weight now, but she cannot deal with delayed gratification. If she watches herself for a day or two, she wants to see a 10lb loss. I wish she could get into the right 'place' mentally to lose now before she goes to college in the fall, but it doesn't seem to be happening, and I can't do it for her--much as I wish I could.

My point, Sherrie, is that only you can find that mental state that makes it possible to deal with food issues successfully. Perhaps DDs are too extreme for you right now? Can you just try to low carb with moderate calories to 'ease into' losing? The only reason I'm doing JUDDD is that I need to seriously restrict my calories, and I can't manage that on a daily basis. But I lost my first 80 lbs on a standard low carb WOE. If you can lose on 1400-1600 cal. a day, why not try that for a while?

[NoSugarShell]

Hey JUDDDers!!

I am still here, but have just been super busy. Literally, everytime I try to take few minutes to get on here I get pulled away.

Anyway, I have been doing good and sticking to my UD's and DD's. I have gone a little over on my UD's, but nothing compared to how I used to. I have been going up and down the same 3 lbs or so. It's a little discouraging, but I am trying to hang in there. I think there are a few reasons I am not dropping yet.

1) TOM is right around the corner

2) I have lowered my carbs and that ALWAYS causes bathroom issues...lol. sorry tmi

3) I think I remember JUDDD last time. It seemed to kick in after a few weeks instead of right at first.

4) I could possibly not be optimized on my meds. I have not had blood tests since I started back on thyroid meds..but the test I had a couple of months ago both T3 & T4 were way BELOW the range. So, I am thinking it will take a little time.

5) Although, I have never really HAD to exercise to lose weight, I was exercising before I started feeling bad and I haven't got back into it.

I definetly feel better, but the weight is being stubborn. blah!

[GrammyPat]

Hi guys,
Oncenforall, I know how you feel when you see your name in print! It just pops out at you and for myself, I feel as if I know the person who is writing my name...how cool is that? I'm glad you're still here and thank you for checking in with us. I so agree with Leo about being in the right mindset. You'll get there. I've been addicted to alcohol and stopped drinking 19 years ago; and I was addicted to nicotine and quit smoking 6 years ago. For me, I know that one drink will never be enough, and one cigarette will never be enough - I'll always be an addict. I took it one day at a time until I got some time, and then never looked back!

Your issues with food CAN be overcome but not until YOU reach the point where you are sick and tired of what you do. Sometimes fear motivates us as it did with me when I quit smoking - I simply could not breathe very well after I smoked. Then I started wheezing when I laid down to sleep; I had never done that before. It scared me so I quit. I had tried to quit 3 times before so I knew what my weak points were. The feeling of struggling for air is what kept me from picking up another cigarette (I had not been diagnosed with emphysema until this year, but it is mild). And I know Leo would agree with me, don't compare yourself to her...Sweetie, you have to run your own race as do all of us! you have to figure out through trial and error, what will work for YOU!

So keep posting; keep being aware of your mental thoughts as you go through the day, and how your body reacts to your thoughts. And here, others may post some ideas that might hit home with you - you never know! This is my second time around with JUDDD and I'm doing much better at it. I'm finally learning how to plan an UD for pete's sake in advance and not have a free-for-all!

OK, tomorrow's my weigh-in. I'll post the loss, if any, tomorrow morning. Got to go to a baby shower (groan) with a huge chocolate cake and lots of other good food. But am taking some diet soda and chewing gum, plus I had my shrimp for dinner (Leo, I'd share it with you if I could!).

Way to go Kisha! Atta girl! See, you can do this. I didn't know you planned your UD's - alright!

Hey everybody, isn't it cool to know that when this New Year comes, we are ALL going to be pounds lighter than we were last year????? Party on down Garth!

[EmandM]

Oncenforall - I too am an all-or-nothing type of a person (oldest of three, Virgo, the stars were aligned for me to have this perfectionist attitude). Anyway, when the DD's got too tough and ended up being MD's, sometimes I would say to heck with it, I am going to eat everything in sight and start again tomorrow. But slowly I started thinking logically, and I decided that on a weekly basis, my overall calories just need to be lower for me to lose. So if I had a DD of 800 cals, I would lower my UD cals so my daily averages were the same as if I had done a 500 cal DD. And after taking that pressure off, the 500 cal DD's became easier. Now that I am in maintenance, I call what I do a loose version of JUDDD. I am still following the program as per Dr. J, but my DD cals are higher than in weight loss mode. Be good to yourself, forgive yourself and move on. I hope this helps!

[onceNforall]

Thank you all for the support and understanding. I know I have to find my own way and in my own time. I just hope it doesn't have to take a stroke or heart attack to convince me now is the time!!

ErmandM....never thought of it that way, but if the DD's turn into MD's that's certainly better than throwing in the towel all together. I am a perfectionist and have to realize this isn't about perfection. I won't give up...I'll NEVER give up.

Kisha....congrats on your successful DD. Hope I have one to report soon.