The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[PJinCali]

September 16, 2006 – I haven’t been journaling lately but I have been sticking to the program 100% and it is still working so I am not giving up.

I quit my job at the end of March so I could get healthy and now I am ready to go back to work. I’m meeting with some agencies and a head hunter next week so I am not worried about finding something yet. Financially I need to be working no later then the end of November so we are in good shape. I feel a lot more confidant now that I have lost some of the weight. I am going through all my clothing this weekend with my daughter acting as my fashion consultant. I need to put together some good looking professional outfits without buying anything. I have donated all of the items that no longer fit and go through sizes too quickly to pay for more clothes right now. I have lots of clothes that fit and some that are too small so it is just a matter of putting the outfits together now so I feel confidant during interviews and such. I will not buy anything new until I absolutely have to.

I have not had any problem sticking to the program lately and am getting into the groove with exercising so it is all coming together. I am worried about how working will impact my road to wellness. My work has always been so stressful that I don’t sleep and I eat at weird times. I hope my new habits are solid enough to stay on track. I have planned my program out to June of 2007. I am determined to stick with it but I know staying on plan while working is a challenge I have not had to deal with. At least this time I have a plan and proven program to make the plan work for me.

[PJinCali]

September 17, 2006 – I am reading a book about burning fat through exercise. It says if you really want to burn fat you need to alternate between aerobic and anaerobic exercise during each session. For example if you want to run or walk for your cardio you should go slow for 2 minutes to warm yourself up (stretch first so you don’t get sore) then go as fast as you can for 2 minutes, then back to the slow or normal pace for 2 minutes etc for 20 minutes. So I have started doing this type of workout for my cardio every day. It also talks about weight training on alternate days so I am adding more weight training. I am going to see how this works for the next 2 weeks. So far it feels really good but I have only been doing it for 3 days. It is satisfying to finally start liking the exercise part of my life.

Tomorrow Angela is coming over so we can put together some interview/job hunt outfits. Should be fun and a good way to organize my closet (work clothes vs non-work clothes) I have way too much time on my hands. I have organized my closet so many times it is just pitiful.

I had an interesting talk with a friend last night about getting my head right before I go back to work so I don’t go off plan and stick to my “get PJ healthy plan” He went on Medifast a year ago and ended up gaining back at least 50% of the weight he lost. He says he is ready to go back on it so I told him about the 5/1 plan instead of the plan he was on. He was on a way different plan where he drank only shakes 3 times a day. He was under his doctor’s supervision but it was not like this plan. I explained this plan to him and he thinks it would be easier to stick to (compared to his old plan). I hope he does it because I want him to get healthy too. He is super duper busy and stressed out although he seems to be able to handle the stress. I think as long as I stay on plan and keep getting the support of this forum I will be OK. I have developed much better eating habits now that I have been on this program since April 24. I also have my food and exercise journals and my weight forecast and charts. Also, I think I know enough to ask for help if I get in a tough situation. I have learned a lot and gotten some great advice from my fellow Medifasters here on the forum. The positive feedback I have gotten about the weight I have lost is very motivating. I just have to stay focused and stay on track.

Anyway, he is concerned because I told him that even though I know I have lost weight because I am wearing a smaller size and I am getting good feedback, I don’t believe it. I still think I am just as fat as when I started. Not in a logical way because I know what the scale and my clothes sizes show me. When I look in the mirror I still see big fat PJ. I still have over 100 ponds to lose and even though I have lost almost 70 pounds, I don’t feel like it in my head. He said I should start doing some visualization exercises or something like that. It just all seems too weird to me. I look in the mirror and see the same thing I saw in April before I started.

How long does it take for your head to catch up with your new body?

[Serendipity]

For me it has definately come in stages and my mind has always lagged behind my body.....but it's catching up. I still hold up my new clothes and think.....that's never gonna fit me....but it does, lol. I'm still pinching myself daily, but I do feel small now and I do recognize the face I see in the mirror.

[PJinCali]

September 17, 2006 – Thanks Jo! So how long did it take before you started feeling that way? How much had you lost? You have done so great and look really fabulous. We got to the point today where my daughter was telling me not to try things on because she could see they were obviously too big. These were things I thought would either fit or be too small.

So the bad news is I have no interview clothes that fit me. Everything was too big and went right into the donate box. Everything I had ready as candidates for the interview, that I really thought would fit, looked ridiculous. The pants were like clown pants and the skirts were falling off. The good news is I still have several really nice tops that fit. I plan to go find an inexpensive (but professional) looking pair of pants a skirt and a jacket tomorrow. The weather was cooling off but started heating back up again (it was in the mid 80’s today) so I will have to get something light. That could be a good thing because the summer clothing should be on sale now : )

The clothing sizes are driving me CRAZY!! One of the reasons I thought some of the items would fit was because of the size on the tags. That means I will have to try on everything I think I might buy tomorrow (ICK!!!) I hate trying on clothes in the store. I always feel claustrophobic in the dressing rooms and hate getting dressed just to go out and get another size because something does not fit. I wish my daughter could go with me I really trust her judgment and fashion sense. I told her I am going to buy a few things, take pictures and email them to her so she can give me her opinion. She is working out of town this week so she can’t just come by and check out the clothes.

I am working the plan now and am still finding it easy to stick to it. Also, exercising every day is getting easier and easier. I had a little pain in my knees today but I worked through it. The puppy is helping too. I walk her with our other dog twice a day and she is a little bundle of energy.

More later…

[DogMa]

I either have a friend with me who can run and get another size (or ask the sales clerk, depending on the kind of store), or I bring a couple of sizes of everything with me to the dressing room, so I can try on a size bigger or smaller without having to go get it.

And I STILL see a fat person. Not like when I started, of course, but I sure don't see a thin person looking back at me. Then again, I'm still about 30% fat, so I'm NOT all that thin. Yet.

Also, be careful about stretching BEFORE you warm up. That's a really good way to injure yourself. Your muscles need to be warmed up first or they're more likely to tear. Most trainers these days recommend stretching AFTER a workout, not before.

[PJinCali]

Thanks Robin,

I was going to ask my friend V to go but the nanny is off on Mondays and we can't shop with the twins (YIKES!) I will take a few sizes of each item in the room with me so I don't have to make a bunch of trips.

As for the stretching...my daughter and son told me the same thing, NEVER stretch before my muscles are warmed up. I should know better.

It is so interesting to me that you still don't see the skinny you. You look so FABU!! So how do we get there? What needs to happens inside our brains to make us really see how we look?

PJ

[DogMa]

I dunno. In some ways, I think it might be a good thing. We can't get complacent and let things slide if we still think we have more work to do.

But I am hoping my self-image improves some as my body fat gets reduced. I still think I see myself as too fat because I AM too fat. Maybe when I hit around 25% or so, I'll feel better.

Good luck with the shopping!! And enjoy the smaller sizes! But beware, the same rule still applies. No matter what size you are, if you totally love something, they'll be out of your size.

[PJinCali]

September 18, 2006 – Robin, I never looked at it that way but you have a good point. Maybe thinking that I am bigger than I am will keep me motivated and working toward my goal. I have not even started considering the BMI issues because I still have so much weight to lose.

So I went shopping today for interview/work clothes and boy oh boy that was frustrating. First of all I guess ponchos & gauchos are back in style (why? is all I can say) and they are everywhere! It took some searching to find interview worthy items. I ended up getting a gray suit jacket, pants & skirt set and a pair of black pants. Everything was on sale and fit really well. The sizing issues just kill me. I took 2 sizes of each thing in with me and with some items the larger size was falling off and the smaller size fit. In other cases the larger size was too tight and the smaller size would not even go on. We need to have some sort of size revolution. I just want to know my size (whatever the number is) and have everything be uniformly sized. Some fabrics can make things feel tight or loose so I can accept a tiny bit of difference but the way sizes are now is just CRAZY!!!

I stayed on plan today and got lots of exercise so I am feeling pretty good tonight. I think trying on clothes gave me more motivation to continue working hard to get to my goal. I am so grateful that I found this program, that it works so well and that I have so much support from everyone on this forum. I know I would not have been as successful or even stayed on the program this long without the advice and support from the forum.

I bought a new book today “You The Owners Manual, An insiders guide to the body that will make you Healthier and Younger by Micheal Roizen, MD & Mehmet Oz, MD. It is really interesting so far but I have only gotten to the second chapter.

More tomorrow…

[GucciGoo]

LOL- I never thought I would buy gauchos but I did! In black! They were not so awful...

[Serendipity]

Same here! I actually have 2 pairs, both black. One casual and one dress-up. I never thought I would look good in them, but I get lots of compliments. I love them....very comfy.

[PJinCali]

OMG... I get flashbacks to the last time they were in style. I was in Jr High School, not a fun time for me. It is going to take a lot more than looking good for me to buy a pair : )

So what about the ponchos? Anyone taken the leap for one of those?

PJ

[Serendipity]

No ponchos for me. I spent too many years trying to cover myself up......no more!

[GucciGoo]

No ponchos here!

[PJinCali]

My sentiments exactly Jo! No big baggy, drappy clothing ever again for me. After all this work it's time to be a show off

PJ

[PJinCali]

September 22, 2006 – Yesterday I had lunch with one of my old workmates. It was great talking about work related issues and corporate politics again. It is getting easier to go out with friends and colleagues for meals. When the conversation is flowing no one notices that I am not eating the bread or appetizers or that I am not eating rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. When I first started trying to eat in restaurants, while on program, I had to study the menu carefully and make sure I told the server no butter, no frying, etc. Also I was self conscious about being so picky and worrying about what my tablemates thought about my new ordering habits. Now, I can spot healthy options, order and forget it. If I do have to alter the choice (no avocado, no olives, etc) I just do it and keep going. I think one of the benefits from being on this program for so long is learning portion control and situation management while still restricted to the quick start guide choices. This forum has also provided so much help by way of other member’s experiences. I am really getting an education from Robin (Dogma) as she has moved from the weight loss part of the program to maintenance. Also, as I read posts from Jo (Serendipity) and others who have lost much more than I have, I see the challenges ahead and how others were able to stay on track. I know I would not be able to stay on the program without the support of this forum. I have never had this much support for anything. The slips, the confessions the life struggles everyone writes about make me stronger.

I also had a very startling OMG moment yesterday while waiting for my friend in the parking lot of her company. I realized just how far my car seat had moved forward as I have lost weight. I remember back in April, before starting the program, my seat was back as far from the steering wheel as it would go because I kept getting little marks on my blouses from the steering wheel rubbing against them.. Now, not only do I not have that problem any more, the seat has moved a significant distance toward the steering wheel but I don’t touch it at all! I was STUNNED! I moved the seat back as far as it would go to see just how much fat was no longer there. WOW! What a great visual! I am sure I was grinning like a fool when my friend got in the car. Seeing this and realizing how far I have come really made my day!