The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[LongWay2go]

What the...

Well I've been wondering why Sarah didn't do weigh in this week and so I went looking for her last post. I'm shocked!

I think the whole point of MediFast is to help you LOSE the weight. It doesn't keep it off for you once you get where you want to be. Healthy eating and exercise do that. That requires educating yourself and developing a little thing called a spine - required for will power!

You have to train yourself to eat properly. Obviously if you go back to your old eating habits you'll be back where you started in no time flat. It also takes a true change of attitude and a ton of will power.

I'm no saint, no, don't even think there'll ever be a possibility of that and I've backslid, oh yeah, but I'll tell you one FACT for sure. I was off plan for a month - 29 days to be exact - while I was traveling late December / most of January and I did not put on ONE SINGLE POUND!!! That's not a miracle. That is because I was eating right (for the most part) and exercising A LOT in that I was walking so much I had blisters on every little chubby toe on both feet!

So maybe I misunderstand the posts above but if I'm hearing what I think I am, that you are BLAMING MediFast for what you perceive as a failure then sisters, you are barking up the wrong tree! Check the one with the mirror at the top instead and the one who is actually to blame will be staring right back at ya!

So MF costs slightly more than regular food. Don't you think that balances out by offering you good health and peace of mind (translate happiness)? Do you have any idea what I spend on medications and doctor's visits every year? More than some people make in a year, that's what! My meds alone cost $200 a month, and that's a CO-PAY! I see my doctor every month and sometimes more than one doctor a month. I can see getting rid of all that expense one day and seeing him so seldom that he has to read my name off the chart to know who I am - instead of having my home phone memorized!

Man oh man...

~Spidey

[RavenKat2]

Ugh.

I'm gonna miss you and anyone else that decides to leave us here. AND I'll try not to take what you said about Medifast personally but it's hard. Honestly, the arguments you have for returning to a freestyle eating plan are the same ones I hear myself saying when I want to cheat. All logical sounding and reasonable except that ends up with me eating whatever I want whenever I want.

Just be careful.

Am I the queen of successful dieting? Lord no! I've been farting around for the last 6 months "trying" to get these last 35 pounds off. Trying means starting and stopping over and over again. It's not the product - it's ALL ME. Three days in I'm no longer hungry, those aren't the hard days. The hard days are the ones where my brain starts running those scripts that logically explain that WW is better, that Atkins is better - anything that allows me to eat is better. Really? Is that why I was at 250 before MF?

Anything is doable - even shakes only for 28 weeks. Nancy did it. I had a professor once that hooked himself up to an EKG and showed us all that he had learned to stop his heart from a Yogi. He did it then restarted it, just from his own will.

Losing weight is definitely a head game - just be sure that you're not playing around now.

Kat

[raederle]

I don't wanna sound like I'm ganging up on Berk, so I'll just keep my thoughts short... I read Berk's post and it really struck a chord with me. All the arguments sounded reasonable; all the reasons sounded justifiable. But then I realized why they struck such a chord: I'd said them all to myself for years! I hear you, Kat, when you tell us this is how we got here-- and you're absolutely right. Sometimes I wanna throw my scale in the morning when I still find myself the same 5 pounds away from goal that I was 2 weeks ago despite no cheating; sometimes I wanna scrap the whole thing and just go back to working out a lot and eating more liberally; sometimes I just wanna change diets and see if that's what would work better for me.

But then I remember! That's why I'm here! I kept justifying my slippage and my give-ups, and ended up sliding backwards, regaining weight, and making it harder each time to lose again...

Anyway, this is more of a thank-you to Spidey and Kat than anything-- thanks for helping keep me focused and on the straight-and-narrow. I'm NOT giving up this time. No matter how much the little voices in my head are trying to sabotage me!

Thanks, guys...

[LongWay2go]

Sure raederle, that's what we're here for. To surgically relocate your rear portion to between your shoulder blades when you need it and pat you on the back when you're doing the right thing! We all need that, especially me! Sometimes support ain't pretty!

Fact is, if you tried WW and it didn't work for you, why on earth would you go back to it? I just don't get that. MF works, pure and simple. All you have do is be compliant and the pounds melt away. I've been saying this for months, but it's our brain that causes the problem. We justify eating any way we can. We have to train ourselves to recognize that and learn to over come those urges.

This may not come out the way intended, but I'm actually GLAD I tumbled from the caboose last week and had a meal bar splurge. Why? Because I was feeling a lot of pressure to keep up "my image" around here. I'm not perfect and I surely don't expect anyone else to be either. But I'm no quitter either. You look at people like Kat and Marseilles and Susan and people like that. God love 'em, they've been through hell to stay on this program but they don't give up! Neither will I and neither should any one reading this. Now get it in gear and do what you know needs to be done. Quit making excuses and just DO IT!!!

(So ends my rant)

~Spidey

[Unca_Tim]

Dr. Spidey....Dr. Spidey
You're wanted in Surgery.

[LongWay2go]

(please Unca, I'm choking here!)

[BerkshireGrl]

Wowie zowie!

I don't know what post "blamed" MF for any failures, but it isn't any I see in this thread.

How about we all take a deep breath, and zen out a bit? ;-) Ahhhhhh.... deep breathing.....

I think MF is a great tool. As I said. I think its science is rock-solid. As I said.

My qualms about it are not based on MF itself, but as to how I am doing on it. Am I a weak individual doomed to failure? Hey maybe I am. But I don't think so.

We all have to return to "normal" food in the future. I don't think watching calories and exercising is a fool's plan, if adhered to.

My MF buddies, I am in credit card debt to the tune of $10,500. I make about $28,000 a year. Should I charge more for MF? Can anyone guarantee it will work for me? Long-term? No... of course you can't! Weight loss is totally UP TO ME. It's entirely up to me, as this has been all along.

I think Medifast rocks. I love its science, its benefits.

But I am not staying on it 100%. I am craving fruits, variety, and lots of exercise. I'm sorry to seem like I am disparaging MF, but if you reread my recent post, I am NOT.

Dutch was on track for months, she came within a pound of her goal. Heck, I say she did it. But did she last? No... but why not? Was MF to blame? No. What we eat and how is always OUR CHOICE. How we maintain our bodies is OUR CHOICE.

This does not mean anyone on MF (or off it) is making a mistake. If you are happy, if you are making progress on your goals, if you are healthy... more power to you, whatever your method.

Medifast gets the fat off FAST. And safely. If I could force myself to follow it, if I could flip that switch in my brain, yes, I would.

But right now... I can't. Say what you will about me and my willpower, but nowhere have I impugned Medifast.

Frankly, I'm a bit stunned by the outrage and the jumping on going on. People, relax! Chill!

I only posted to say where I was, personally. Not to recruit anyone to the Dark Side. Not to say Weight Watchers is "better." (I don't really think it is, per se. The loss is slower for me but the variety of foods is wider of course. There is no "better." There is only good safe results.)

WW did not fail me in the past. I went off it when I was depressed, after I hit goal, and ate my head off. Of course I got fat again. Duh. No mystery there, just my own bad choices leading to me regaining my 56 pounds. And it didn't matter how slow or fast I lost the weight. All that mattered in the end was how I maintained. And I did not maintain well in 2001.

Any diet will fail you if not followed ;-) Even the best!

Basically, what I am saying is, hey, if Medifast is working for you, AWESOME! Stick with it! You could not pick a better researched plan, or speedier. MF will get you skinny FAST.

More power to you MF shakers. I truly think you are rocking... and I hope you speedily reach your goals, and peacefully maintain.

We all have the same goal. Let's ease up and get there... as we can.

[LongWay2go]

Sarah,

If you don't see someone blaming MF for their "failure" you need to reread DC's post because she totally did. My message was directed towards both of you. The message I was trying to get across to you was that if WW didn't help you get and keep the weight off before, then it's not going to this time either and that plan is no cheaper than MF by the time you add in the program fees, buy all their freaking books and the food.

How the h.e.doubletoothpicks do you live in Pittsfield on $28k a year? Wow, for that you are to be commended! But you kind of blamed MF for putting you in severe CC debt and I know you didn't spend $10k on MF!

My post wasn't specifically for you but was for you, DC and anyone else who uses excuses to go off plan. Because that's what you did, my dear! You've been a tremendous asset to the discussions here in the past but this particular post to which I responded was full of self-destructive thinking and not productive for anyone else.

If you objectively go back and read your post to which I replied (your last post in this thread) you'll see that it is full of excuses and is a blatant blame-tossing diatribe. The only thing that made MF not work for you is that you didn't stick to the plan. I can go back and find the posts if you want, but I remember many about wine and snacks, etc. You can't sit at home at night eating bread and cheese and downing a bottle of wine and think you'll lose weight. Ain't gonna happen!

But I was not attacking you. I DO think you need a swift kick in the butt and some self-realization that this is not a pony ride. It's the hardest thing you'll most likely ever do in your life and it takes sacrifice to make it happen. It takes an attitude adjustment and education and willpower afterwards to make your success a real success - by keeping the weight off.

Sarah, you are probably one of the most intelligent women I've ever met but you're foodie brain is causing you to make bad decisions based on flawed logic. That is what some of the other posters were talking about. We all do that. That's how we got fat! That's why we are here.

So this is not a personal attack on you, but an attempt to get you to think objectively about the decisions you are making. Yes, WW will work for you IF you make the changes in your life style to go along with it AND train your brain to think of food as "the enemy". Food is your comfort and your friend right now. You are not going to be successful on any diet until you retrain your brain. And I'll stick by my original statement, both you and DC need a swift kick in the butt to bring you into reality. Every reason you gave to go off the plan was completely bogus and a foodie excuse. The point is, we love you around here and are concerned for your health. You are making bad decisions and if we can stop you from doing that, we will. Even if it takes a swift kick in the butt!

~Spidey

[Guest]

<edit>Off topic - nonconstructive - UT</edit>

[LongWay2go]

Anger can be a strong motivator, while truth is elusive, especially to foodies. Maybe it's a GOOD thing that you are angry, "Guest". I realize not everyone will like what I said and I'm prepared to accept the consequences of that. This ain't a popularity contest, it's a life and death struggle to regain our health and happiness and I'm not playing games about it.

The bottom line is, you can lie to yourself forever but you can't lie to your body and get away with it for long. If you aren't prepared to make the adjustments and sacrifices involved in losing weight and changing your life, then you are in the wrong place and wasting everyone's time, including your own. It's just that simple.

When foodie lies are communicated in this forum someone has to stand up and call them what they are because they are destructive and disruptive to most people, especially the newbies who are struggling in their start period and trying to cope with the reality of just what it takes to lose weight.

~Spidey

[24KaratGold]

It is my opinion, as an outside, disinterested observer, that you have overstepped, Gerald, and owe Sarah an apology. I say that as someone with the highest respect for both of you.

[LongWay2go]

I have to respectfully disagree, 24k. (Hey, weren't you just stoning me yesterday!?!)

My beef is not with Sarah. I like Sarah very much and have a lot of respect for her. My issue is with the logic she's using to leave the program and my concern is that I think she needs MF, this forum and the discipline that entails to succeed with her weight loss.

My discussion with her is a fundamental disagreement with her logic and an attempt to convince her that she's listening to foodie thoughts. As I said, I have the utmost respect for Sarah and my only desire is to see her succeed.

~Spidey

[Marseilles]

Okay, so I have decided to offer my opinion as well. My intent is not to add fuel to the fire at all, but I would just like to point out that this has the potential to be blown WAY out of proportion if it does not yet qualify already.

See, personally, I LIKE the fact that we on medifast are able to come here to this forum and offer OUR OWN opinions and thoughts to one another and offer, in the way of support, an honest attempt at helping each other stay accountable to ourselves and to medifast. I think that before anyone jumps on ANY bandwagon and flames anyone else (ESPECIALLY if they lack the courage to sign in and take ownership of said flame) OR backs that opinion up, whatever their feelings might be, we should attempt to stop and consider the spirit in which the advice was given. While this forum is a wonderful place, text based conversations rarely, if EVER, offer tone and inflection aside from that presumed accurate by the reader.

I did not read Geralds response as at all offensive, personally. I would also put more stock in a response such as that as opposed to one that merely whistles of sunshine and roses. I can entirely understand Sarah's reasoning behind her decision whether or not I agree with it, truly. I think that other opinions expressed in this thread are grossly inaccurate, as, if followed according to direction, medifast is amazingly successful. It is advised to CURB intense exercise while medifasting or one will see a slow-down in weightloss and more incidence of plateaus. As well, one is simply NOT limited to shakes alone unless one has chosen that route, so medifast is hardly to blame for lack of variety, boredom or extreme hunger. We are ALL advised to incorporate extra supplements RATHER than go hungry.

FACT:

We ALL wish each other great success in their journey to losing all the unwanted pounds.

FACT:

We ALL tend to mourn the loss of one of the fold when that person chooses to leave us or we see constant struggles and poor decision making.

FACT:

We are ALL human and are not infallible, whereas MEDIFAST is tried and true and guarantees success, IF you are program compliant.

FACT:

We are ALL entitled to our own opinions and by coming to this forum it is sort of an unwritten law that we are subjecting ourselves as audience to the opinions of the others here. We do not necessarily have to agree with them but we MUST respect them. It neednt be ugly or hurtful or taken as such.

Sarah, for you, I wish you great success in whatever route to thindom you choose. We will miss you, of course. I know Gerald feels the same way and do not feel badly for speaking for him in that regard. I daresay that it is my opinion that any alternate road WILL be more difficult, but that opinion is mine alone. It CERTAINLY does not mean I wish you ill or less success.

Peace, chica!!!
-M.

[DutchChoc]

I'm going to try this again and it was, indeed I, before as Guest. I wasn't expecting to do more than read and I didn't sign it. It wasn't an act of cowardice on my part.

What I wish to do is to garner support for respecting another person's experience/decision rather than to seek to blame someone for being unexplainably wrong until you've come to the exact decisionpoint and can speak for what happened to you when you were there. And, indeed, if you stay on MF always, maybe that time will never occur. If, indeed, you come off the program gracefully and under control, then bully for you, too. Not everyone does either 1: get to that point; 2: experience that result. That's my point. I take it for granted that I have a right to describe my "foody' problems and try to correct them. My recent posts have, in my opinion, blamed MF only to the extent that I said I was hungry. Should I keep that fact to myself?

[LongWay2go]

Dutchy,

I actually thought the "guest" might have been you but wasn't sure. Supporting people who make a decision to leave the program is not the issue here. The issue I was trying to raise is that the two posts to which my original post referred were completely counterproductive to the intended purpose of this forum, at least as I understand it's purpose. This isn't "dear diary", it is a support forum for folks on Medifast. If you want to write in your diary things like:

"...what I experienced wasn't really worth the $$ I spent..."
"Yes, it was a trip to Thinsville I went on, at high cost, alright."

and finally

"MF as a "cure", which, in fact, it isn't, necessarily"

(all quotes from your last post) then go for it and write away. But that is not supporting others and I personally don't think it belongs here. That is my opinion, not necessarily the "way it is". I think it is hurtful to people who are struggling to stay compliant and especially to newbies who aren't even sure this will work for them. They need support and assurance, not someone posting complaints about the cost and it's value to them and at least as I saw it, blaming the program for the fact that you didn't make it to goal.

Hon, you MADE your goal! You were one stinking pound away. That is success in my book. I can't see how you could think otherwise. And that wasn't worth it to you? I just don't get that!

With all due respect to everyone, I really do think we should let this thread die. If you want to discuss the point or tell me off, send me a PM. I think this whole thread should hit the proverbial shredder personally. And I accept partial blame for that, and I apologize to the innocent bystanders for having to listen to it.

~Spidey