Medi Weight Loss Maintaince Phase

[NOT2fat4fun]

Hi All -
Thanks to my amazing support team for the continued words of encouragement. I feel so much better = physically and mentally = already. It feels so great to get back into my healthy mindset again. I loved what you said Susie - about your friend food.
I feel that way, too. But I do think that I have to keep in mind that carbs for me are a sneaky friend - not to be trusted too much.
It's kind-of funny how I think of you Susie, Jo, Tracy, McBoo - never met you but I feel like we have this great bond. Hope you know that I am always there for you, too....
Happy week-end all!

[Desert-Rose7]

The first thing I had to realize with this program, was that I am addicted to food. Not the bad stuff, the good stuff, and I have also had the epiphany that some of those foods are simply not going to be in my cabinets or fridge again. I have no control over them. In this case, out of sight is out of mind. I don't crave them until I see them in the store, then I can talk myself out of them. No buy,no worry. Perhaps someday, but then again I say to myself, no day.

It does work for me.

I know we all got very used to the acute phase, and it became automatic. I am hopeful that one of these days, maintenance will become automatic too!

Jo

[dodgern]

Originally Posted by Desert-Rose7

The first thing I had to realize with this program, was that I am addicted to food. Not the bad stuff, the good stuff, and I have also had the epiphany that some of those foods are simply not going to be in my cabinets or fridge again. I have no control over them. In this case, out of sight is out of mind. I don't crave them until I see them in the store, then I can talk myself out of them. No buy,no worry. Perhaps someday, but then again I say to myself, no day.

It does work for me.

I know we all got very used to the acute phase, and it became automatic. I am hopeful that one of these days, maintenance will become automatic too!

Jo

Yep...me again. I resolved that there's NO WAY that some of my weaknesses


are going to be in my house EXCEPT I bought a bag of mixed Hersheys dark chocolate mini bars (think Halloween sized) and I've regretted buying it ever since. GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! BUT hubby is able to eat these and they're soooo good!!!! Doing my best to not eat them but ya know how it goes!!!!
I still follow the acute phase with the odd wandering into carbs BUT I'm restricting myself to certain things.
My weight wavers within 5 lbs of 130.
Has been a rough TOM this week!!!!
Can't wait to get back to work (Tuesday)... I behave better when I'm working


cindy

[fit2b50]

Cindy-Your husband should store those Hershey bars in his car...it's cold enough right now and you'd have to "skate" out there to get one. It would make you think twice!

What I find REALLY helps with chocolate cravings-Nestle's Chocolate morsels or chocolate covered edamame...this is in the freezer aisle at Trader Joe's. Good stuff! I find I cannot eat an unlimited amount of either of them...like I probably could with the Hershey bars!

Get back to work and forget about that chocolate and think about all those great new clothes you'll be buying for summer! El

Originally Posted by dodgern

Yep...me again. I resolved that there's NO WAY that some of my weaknesses


are going to be in my house EXCEPT I bought a bag of mixed Hersheys dark chocolate mini bars (think Halloween sized) and I've regretted buying it ever since. GRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!! BUT hubby is able to eat these and they're soooo good!!!! Doing my best to not eat them but ya know how it goes!!!!
I still follow the acute phase with the odd wandering into carbs BUT I'm restricting myself to certain things.
My weight wavers within 5 lbs of 130.
Has been a rough TOM this week!!!!
Can't wait to get back to work (Tuesday)... I behave better when I'm working


cindy

[Justin1]

Originally Posted by SDC2

I just checked Costco's website and they have it for $179 (arm band only) with a 1 year subscription.

I pulled the trigger on this Saturday night as the deal was only good through 1/31/10.

I am excited to get it, I haven't bought the display yet, but I know I will be soon.

I've read alot about them, and know someone that has been using one for about 7 months religiously and it has done really good stuff for him.


Susie how do you find the online food journal? Does it work as good or better than the daily plate?

[SDC2]

Originally Posted by Justin1

I pulled the trigger on this Saturday night as the deal was only good through 1/31/10.

I am excited to get it, I haven't bought the display yet, but I know I will be soon.

I've read alot about them, and know someone that has been using one for about 7 months religiously and it has done really good stuff for him.


Susie how do you find the online food journal? Does it work as good or better than the daily plate?

It is very similar to the daily plate, on with less of a database, so I find I have to add in alot of my own foods. I just save the labels and bring them over to the computer when I log. It also has a way of entering recipes.

What I like is that you can set goals regarding your food intake and burn and it will compare your log and download data and FDA recommendations to your goals and track how you are doing. For instance it might tell you that you were a little high in saturated fat today. It comes with a half hour phone training session which I highly recommend because I found out it does a lot more than I originally thought.

[tracy_d]

I'm getting a body bugg too! I should have it in about a week- A nice 40th birthday present!!

[Justin1]

Originally Posted by tracy_d

I'm getting a body bugg too! I should have it in about a week- A nice 40th birthday present!!

happy bday and happy bodybugg day? lol


mine is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow via ups...

I read one of the "cons" are that you can get obsessive over 'number watching'...well to me that sounds like a "pro"

make those numbers go higher!!

[SDC2]

Originally Posted by tracy_d

I'm getting a body bugg too! I should have it in about a week- A nice 40th birthday present!!

Tracy! Enjoy your youth!!

[Desert-Rose7]

Happy birthday, Tracy!


Jo

[tracy_d]

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes!!

[Nick80]

I am so glad to be in here with all the graduates!!

I had a quick question for Susie regarding the subtraction of the fiber carbs from the total carbs. i just wanted to make sure that is correct as I want to incorporate Fiber One cereal for breakfast at least 4 times a week but I dont want to overdo it if that will jeopardize my maintenance.

I still am not used to eating more than 800 cal a day and it seems like a lot to me now, which means I have lost more weight as far as i can tell from our scale at home. but it is good. i am liking the thinner me and i must say has had a positive impact on my well being.

macauley i am sorry about your injury. I didnt see your post till now. You are one of the stalwarts here with strong determination.

Thanks again to everyone here. I am so grateful to all of you!

[SDC2]

Originally Posted by Nick80

I am so glad to be in here with all the graduates!!

I had a quick question for Susie regarding the subtraction of the fiber carbs from the total carbs. i just wanted to make sure that is correct as I want to incorporate Fiber One cereal for breakfast at least 4 times a week but I dont want to overdo it if that will jeopardize my maintenance.

I still am not used to eating more than 800 cal a day and it seems like a lot to me now, which means I have lost more weight as far as i can tell from our scale at home. but it is good. i am liking the thinner me and i must say has had a positive impact on my well being.

macauley i am sorry about your injury. I didnt see your post till now. You are one of the stalwarts here with strong determination.

Thanks again to everyone here. I am so grateful to all of you!

Nick,

This used to be a point of controversy... as to what to count when counting carbs. My clinic now includes a page in the week 2 materials that is titled "How to Calculate NET CARBS". It uses as an example their 100 Calorie Protein Bars. It shows the Total Carbohydrates as 11g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 3g, and Sugarm Alcohol 4g. Since fiber and sugar alcohol are not absorbed into the body, you can subtract both the fiber and sugar alcohol (but not the sugars) which leaves 5 net carbs.

FiberOne cereal has 25g of total carbs, 14g fiber, and no sugar alcohol listed, leaving 11g net carbs per 1/2 cup serving. Enjoy!

[SDC2]

Originally Posted by NOT2fat4fun

It's kind-of funny how I think of you Susie, Jo, Tracy, McBoo - never met you but I feel like we have this great bond. Hope you know that I am always there for you, too....

Happy week-end all!

Macauley,

I feel exactly the same way. You guys have been such a great source of support and inspiration. We are all in this together and we will continue the struggle together.

It is so great to expand our circle as our Medi friends reach maintenance like Nick and Bree. I look forward to Jerry, Jessica and others joining us soon. When I see how some of our friends have lost 100+ pounds, my accomplishments seems so small, but then I remember how it took me 16 years to get rid of it. I can't even fathom the "stick-withitness" it took to accomplish those huge weightloss goals.

You asked me a few days ago about how the job was going. I'm sorry I didn't respond right away, but I have been working more hours than I originally thought and been fighting off the flu. The flu finally got the better of me and I had to call in today. The work is great and it feels so good to offer patients encouragement and hope. The staff I work with are a lot of fun. What I didn't anticipate was how hard it would be on my vocal cords to talk for 8 hours a day. I lost my voice completely last Friday and it has been raspy ever since. But all in all I think it is the perfect job for me right now.

[tracy_d]

Susie- Glad to hear your job is going well- for the most part!

My clinic in Lake Mary posted before and after pics of me on the bulletin board. WOW! It was really cool to see a full length photo of that. Made me feel really good.

[NOT2fat4fun]

Happy Birthday Tracy! Hope it was a great one!
Welcome Nick and Bree - so happy to increase the team support here!
Life is good - staying focused on the proteins - had a hard time with the protein only so did eat some berries and veggies but feel much, much cleaner and clearer...
Foot injury cleared up too.
Have been getting these headaches in the middle of the night - kind-of weird. Have had lot of fluids but not sure. Think I need to get my eyes checked, actually. Have been having to do a lot of work on the computer.
Good news - nine years cancer free this month.. (Ha - thought it was 10 but nope - 9).
It's all good - happy to be here!
Have a great week-end all.

[Desert-Rose7]

Congrats on the 9 years, Macauley! WTG!!!

BTW, I have been getting headaches in the nighttime too....for me it is the barometric pressure changes due to the wierd wierd weather we are having right now.

Off to bed for me...

Susie, I talk all day! It is what I do...you will get used to it!

Love to all

Jo

[SDC2]

I am so happy for you Macauley. I pray that for the rest of your life you will be cancer free!

Jo, we have had the wildest weather here too. It has been a very col,d record setting, winter and we have even had snow flurries. They say it is because of El Nino. Thanks for the heads up about talking. I have never wanted to rest my voice like I have these last few weeks.

I wish you all a wonderful Sunday, and for those of you who will be watching the superbowl, I hope your team wins as long as it is the same one I will be rooting for. I am originally from Baltimore, so would you like to take a guess?

[SDC2]

I have a question for all you experienced Medi maintainers...

I keep reading posts on the newbie thread and sometimes on the monthly thread where the poster appears to be either misinformed, or confused. These really concern me since other Medi patients read these threads and can also become misinformed by their posts. One example was the poster who said she was told to up her carbs since she was only in trace ketosis. So as not to sound like a know-it-all, and not to spread mis-information or information that is contrary to what they have been told by there own clinic I have referred to the handouts that my clinic gives out when you first start. I thought these were standard, but I am beginning to think they may not be. And like Jo, I try to be as fact based as possible, leaving opinion out as much as possible.

I notice that I seem to be the only one responding. Do you think I am off base with my responses? Should I just say something doesn't sound right and refer them back to their clinics for clarification or just not respond? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

[Desert-Rose7]

Susie, I am in total agreement with you. Will send you an email today.

Jo

[NOT2fat4fun]

Hey Susie - I have been thinking the same thoughts for a long time. I wonder where some people get their information from. It also saddens me to think that people are not getting to meet with the doc's.
Awhile back I went to a clinic that was pretty similar to Medi and was quite happy with the program - they had loads of support. I went on vacation and when I came back they had closed - I found out later that someone had died. Sorry if that sounded morbid - but I worry that if clinics do their own thing -that the program may be compromised.

I often think about writing a response but truthfully, you are so much more eloquent : )
Not to leave it in your hands but some of the things I read are pretty surprising.

Thanks for the good wishes all -
Have a great week!

[Fit2010]

Susie, I am thankful that you took the initiative to clear up the misunderstanding with facts from the ketosis thread. I wasn't having any concerns but reading it made me feel more informed too. When I first joined my MediWtLoss Clinic in Sept 2008 all visits were with either the MD, NP, or the RN (the 3 were successful MWL folks who founded the clinic)...as the months went by visits were less often with any of these and instead were with new staff who could answer some of my questions, but like others have mentioned here I felt sort of jypped (sp) because I was being filed in and filed out. Had I known about this support online I could have handled staying with it, but due to a financial crunch/daughter's medical crisis(thankfully resolved!)/busy schedule and stress eating it all came back on after I stopped attending MWL. This time is different, and I make sure that I talk with the doctor every month because of my insulin resistance, medications concerns. If people don't know to be proactive for advocating for themselves they will just go with the flow, and I think it's shameful that though successful there can be an avoidance of all the contact. It's still the same $$!

A thought I have about the confusion too is that some folks on are this site without being commited (YET) to MWL by showing up in a clinic. They are trying the program without being a patient. Definitely this needs to be a supervised program. You have always been informative, tactful, factual...I'm happy you teach and we glean from your success and experience!

[tracy_d]

I agree with you too Susie- sometimes, I read the threads, and it seems as though people are either misinformed or not committed...I liked something I saw you wrote in a post when I first started...It costs so much money weekly on the acute phase- if you don't follow the program correctly it's like throwing your money away and for me it just wasn't worth it. That statement has stuck with me through all the times I wanted to have a drink, or eat that "wrong thing"

[Nick80]

Tracy Happy Birthday!

Macauley excellent news regarding the 9 years!

Susy I think some of these folks are looking for ways around the diet. I am also appalled at the lack of motivation by some of the folks and they certainly are demotivating if one doesnt have a strong will. Personally I am glad I was committed, helped along by all of you who are so helpful and positive!

A quick question here is that did any of you feel lethargic, depressed once you were off the AS and started maintenance? I am feeling both and my energy levels seem down. hopefully it will pass soon.

On a good note I ran for 1 hour and 15 minutes on saturday at a good clip.

Happy Monday all!

[Desert-Rose7]

I weaned myself off the AS starting at about 30 pounds to go. By the time I got to goal I was off them completely. It worked for me, so I did not have those funky feelings which are normal and natural when coming off a drug like the AS. It will go away. Just keep up with the exercise and other activities and you will be fine.

Susie. I sent you an email yesterday.

Jo

[SDC2]

Hi Nick,

I did the same as Jo. I had already weaned myself off the meds before starting maintenance. I just kept on forgetting to take them, then realized I probably didn't need them then.

[dodgern]

Hehehe- I used the AS as a wake-up in the AM
I didn't need them by then either. Now I get hungry but I eat mostly the Medi-way, low carb high protein. My body it!!!!


cindy

[fit2b50]

Susie-I went to the Charlotte clinic that seems to be the source of much of the misinformation. The Charlotte MWL way works but it is definitely NOT the same info that most people receive.

So.........yes, many of the people looking to get around the program seem to come from Charlotte. And Charlotte has a different approach. I have ONLY ever counted protein calories and it was easy and it worked and it is VERY easy to maintain....for me.

I definitely think that you should speak up...someone needs to be the voice of reason! I think you do a fantastic job of making your point and not offending anyone so...keep it up girl! You are VERY good at delivering the Medi message! El

Originally Posted by SDC2

I have a question for all you experienced Medi maintainers...

I keep reading posts on the newbie thread and sometimes on the monthly thread where the poster appears to be either misinformed, or confused. These really concern me since other Medi patients read these threads and can also become misinformed by their posts. One example was the poster who said she was told to up her carbs since she was only in trace ketosis. So as not to sound like a know-it-all, and not to spread mis-information or information that is contrary to what they have been told by there own clinic I have referred to the handouts that my clinic gives out when you first start. I thought these were standard, but I am beginning to think they may not be. And like Jo, I try to be as fact based as possible, leaving opinion out as much as possible.

I notice that I seem to be the only one responding. Do you think I am off base with my responses? Should I just say something doesn't sound right and refer them back to their clinics for clarification or just not respond? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

[SDC2]

Thank you all for your kind replies. I guess I will continue doing what I am doing in responding to the posts. Please, please, if I ever sound out of line please let me know asap. I want to represent Medi well.

[NOT2fat4fun]

Nobody represents Medi better than you Susie...