The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[mombarnes]

I have been enjoying reading all the forums (fori?) and getting acquainted with everyone.
I started 26-Oct. Don't have anything to add to the discussion (yet) but felt like a lurker unless I took the trouble to introduce myself.
Everyone is so inspirational!! THANK YOU.

[JuliaMejia]

Welcome to you MomBarnes,

My name is Julia and I started MF about a week ago. This is a great place to chat and get and give support to other who are shaking their way to a healthier life! Wow you have been on Medifast about 15 days already, congradulations! Are you feeling better/more energy yet? Keep us updated on your progress!

[mombarnes]

Julia, you are one of the people whose posts I most enjoy reading. I have such a huge admiration for nurses. It's so interesting how people's personalities really come through these posts - even though it's "just writing". I'm really enjoying the boosts & hope to be of help to those who are not doing so well.
I feel so GREAT, thanks for asking! I have so much energy that I sometimes just get up & walk around (plus running for water - taking in & going out).

[JuliaMejia]

Hey MomBarnes,

Thanks for the compliments, you are right when you say this forum is a boost, I find it is whats helping me to stay on MF. I still have to cook for my 4 gorgeous kids and my big kid husband and last night I made a new concoction for my family, it was a black bean stew - they loved it. THEY WERE FREAKING OUT! GETTING SECONDS! My husband again, told me I should write a cookbook...I was feeling so left out of all the enjoyment of my fabulous cooking, but I just kept drinking water and wishing it was time for my MF shipment (which arrived this morning - thanks goodness). I was down to slim pickings, I was out of fast soup, bars, had 1 creamy soup left...This morning the scale did not move at all , but I am swelled up, my rings are so tight and I am a little constipated so I know why the scale is at a stand still. I made some extra salty bullion last night! I will fix all this today with tons of water and try to eat a little less salty bullion. I have some low sodium - I'll try. I feel like I have tons of energy too - I wanna clean my whole house today, I'm half done now! I am happy that tomorrow morning I can weigh in officially and start my second week! I am close to starting the 230's now and my first mini-goal is to be below 230 - which I have not been at since 19!

Last night I was afraid I was gonna blow it...Looking at the food as I dished it out to the kids ...My first close call this week. Havn't even thought twice about all the halloween candy in the cupboard, it's the food! Next time I'm just gonna run upstairs and tell hubby I can't handle it!

MomBarnes, keep us all updated on your good days and even the bad!

[Simmshe]

Welcome Mombarnes--glad you came out of hiding ! Congrats on a successful medistart!

And Julia, I've been reading your posts since you started (I read here virtually everyday, but as of late, I just haven't had time to post much lately), and I just want to commend you for your great start and strength. I completely admire those of you, especially just starting out the first few weeks (still being in that ultrasensitive food stage), who have a family to take care of and to prepare food for ! I honestly don't know if I could left the launching pad if I had to prepare regular food. If I had to prepare food now, sure--no problem. But the first three weeks?? Oh my goodness, I would've had probably 10 re-starts!

Anyways, that is some incredible resolve you have going there--keep it up !

Sheryl

[Crystal]

Welcome to you, mombarnes! You started the day after I did! So glad you are here!! I'm happy things are going so well for you...keep up the good work! I look forward to hearing more from you!


Julia, I don't think I've said hello to you yet...so glad you're here! I agree with you - the hardest part of my day is fixing meals for my 4 kids & husband. I have had to escape upstairs recently to avoid too much temptation, so don't feel bad about trying that! I made one dish last week that they devoured and my husband said to make sure I wrote it down so I could fix it again, and I can't even taste it....yet. But I will.... We can do this. Remember you are not alone!

Crystal

[JuliaMejia]

Wow Simmshe - you have lost a lot! You must be proud of your hard work. Also I'm glad to hear that it gets easier preparing foods...Tonight I made spaghetti and did not touch it. My hubby had the black bean stew leftover with fried scrambled eggs corn and a big plop of Mayo...I was having a shake while I cooked - that helps. I survived another day - that's cool. Thanks and keep up the losing!

Crystal, I totally agree that is the hardest part of the day! I'm not adding all the cheeses, sour cream, and sauces as not to make it too tempting. I am glad that you don't have too much more to lose! You are 10 pounds closer to your goal. Are you working out? I lose more on the nights I work I have noticed. I am waiting a bit before I start working out again. Some say it's best to wait a while, but I feel good when I exercise. I'm still a bit dizzy at times from the new eating change, but I know I'll adjust soon.

It's very nice to meet the both of you and keep in touch!

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Welcome mombarnes!

Seems like just a few days ago I was a newbie here. Time really flies when you're having fun! I've not been around as much as I usually am - very busy but wanted to extend another welcoming hand aboard the train to thinville to a newbie with a great attitude!

A MF Pal,
Camille

[fedup]

Welcome aboard Mombarnes! I agree with Crystal and JM that cooking those family meals are tough tough tough. I can do it now without too much temptation (mostly! unless it's one of those days!) But in the beginning it was way tough. I still remember making spaghetti and rolls on day 2 or 3 and actually picking that roll up to smell it, and thinking about licking it! It's weird, but somewhere along the way I actually started to want to make different things for the family, went out of my way to bake and everything... even though I couldn't eat it. It's almost like I was showing myself I could be around food and conquer it. Who knows, very very weird!

Keep up the great work everyone, and Mombarnes, keep on posting!

[Crystal]

Julia~

I haven't started excercising again yet. I had planned to this week, but developed a nasty case of bronchitis and an ear infection. I do plan to start walking again on Monday. I am still very active, though, chasing after our kids - ages 8 mos(just learned to crawl last week), 2 yrs, 4 yrs & 6 yrs. Still, I'm ready for something more...The weather here has finally cooled off enough that it is pleasant to be outside again!

[Nancy]

Good Day Mombarnes!

I am glad that you are no longer a lurker but rather a participator!

MakeMeThinner indeed has a very Fabulous Forum, if I do say so myself, and I DO, because I can!

For those of you who are new to Medifasting, the desire to scarf eventually subsides. Somewhat.

Sometimes just having a deep whiff of something good will do the trick and stop the craving. Smells can be very satisfying and they have NO calories – as long as you don’t drag your tongue across the surface of the grub, that is!

I have a very good imagination and I often visualize the tempting f oods as being covered with something nasty or containing an ingredient that I don’t like.

I have to really use my imagination here as there are very few things that I don’t like!

So for example, I could imagine the black bean stew as containing LIVER so I wouldn’t wanna eat it. Or I can imagine alfredo fettuccine alfredo as being barfage served over a plate of tapeworms and suddenly I have no more desires to have a little licky. 

I LOVE the feeling of being in control, too.

Control Freaks, isn’t it sorrta and very satisfying to be able to prepare and serve something especially delectable and then to smile coyly (hmm, maybe that should be to smile ‘soyly’) when someone says, “Oh, aren’t YOU going to have some, too?” and then you reply, “Why, thank you, No, not now. I’d prefer my shake for right now. Perhaps later, ‘though!”

It feels so wonderful, so powerful, so controlling to say that as they consume thousands of calories and trans fatty acids and then you smugly sashay down the hall to the BR and check out your thinnin’ self in the mirror.

Oh, me oh my! Where did THAT come from? It must be some kind of an altered alter ego that said that! I better hit the treadmill and take a shower…

[gr8views]

(LW, you are a hoot! Alter ego!!)

Welcome aboard mombarnes! Good to 'see' you here. It's a lively, friendly bunch of LOSERS that are on this forum. It's a great place for encouragement to keep you on track...

Good to have you with us!

Diane

[Mom2seven]

I also am a newbie. I started MF Oct 21. I am doing the 5/1 but it turns out mostly to be 4/1. Not that I am trying to omit the 5th, it just works out that way. I have lost 15 lbs so far and feel great. Looking forward to going under that 200 bar. I too love reading everyones wonderful progress and inspirations from the newbies to the 100+, young and old. Don't we feel fantastic?!! Cheers to everyone.

[Nancy]

Greetings, Mom2seven ~

We are happy to have you join us. Your names intrigues me...7 kids? 6 kids and a husband? Wow! That's a lot of people to chase after!

We have a lot of Newbies and we are so excited about the way so many of you are coming aboard the train to Thinsville!

I do not intend to sound like Ms. Sternfinger here but yellow caution lights start flashing when I see New people messing with the plan...remember' Kids, I am a trained professional and I know about what I blab here...

I am doing the 5/1 but it turns out mostly to be 4/1. Not that I am trying to omit the 5th, it just works out that way.

Yikes! That feels like fingernails skritch-scratchin' on the chalkboard to moi!

PLEASE do your best to slug down that 5th Medifast shake! (or MF soup, Puddin', Oatmeal, etc.)

We are not doing the 4/1 here as it does not provide enough food.

We have 24 years of research and success behind us and the beauty of Medifast is that it is muscle-sparing but when we cut back on our meals, skip our meals or combine meals and make the portions bigger than they are designed to be, our body gets confused and it can begin to store flab, rather than dumping it, it can begin to burn its muscle - our heart and our brain are muscles...it an create havoc, Kids.

Please read my February 2004 Newsletter. Here ya go
http://www.makemethinner.com/newsletter/medifast-february-newsletter.htm

We want you to cross the finish line at a healthy weight with a happy smile on your face.

We will do all we can to encourage you and to support you along the way, but we do not want to have to carry you across the FINISHED line on a stretcher!

[Nancy]

Fellow Forum Friends ~

Leopard Woman publicly declares she stands corrected.

I recently received a lovely post from our very sharp Berkshire Girl regarding the brain…

Thanks, Sarah - I gladly stand corrected and I appreciate you for caring about accurate information for our gentle readers.

Sarah’s letter:

Dear LW,

Good morning!

I've seen you say a couple times the brain is a muscle... while in fact the brain is mostly fat. Kinda gross but true Thought I'd give you a heads-up (har har)!

Check out this from http://www.fi.edu/brain/fats.htm

Fats Build Your Brain

No offense, but you have a fat head! About two-thirds of your brain is composed of fats. But not just any kind.

Your brain cells require very specialized fats – the same ones that built the brains of your prehistoric ancestors and enabled them to learn and evolve at such a fast rate. These same fats are even now being incorporated into the very structure of your brain.

Just an FYI from a former biology nut in school... There is a lot of fascinating brainy info on that page too! Talks all about how diet chemically effects the moods, depression, cognitive ability, ol' fashioned brain power, and even scary diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Who knew that the trans fatty acids in stuff like fries and chips actually has been linked to LESSER brain function?! Eeek!

Food is indeed POWERFUL stuff!!

Yes, indeey doo, we are fat heads! Some of us (moi) are a little thicker than others, too.

I truly want the Forum Folks to THINK about what they can be doing to themselves if they shortcut their food intake...in essence I want them to be creeped out about even considering to make short cuts….

The complete program is a very low calorie diet (Gosh! You all know I hate to use the ‘d’ word), and while the 5/1 is only slightly higher in calories, it is very important to consume ALL the food, every three - four hours and absolutely not to skip meals.

I never know who is reading and what they'll do with the information they gather – we have some recent newbies, some with diabetes that would prefer to do the complete program, thinking they might be able to lose their fluffage faster...Medifast IS muscle-sparing IF it is followed properly...we are so blessed to have years of clinical research, the finest ingredients, the best products on the market, blah blah blah…

We just must not mess with Medifast! Follow the programs and you cannot fail!

Trans fatty acids truly are terrible and Dr. Andersen, Dr. Imboden and others continue to teach Health Advisors about the necessity of sound nutrition. Some people think that ‘if it ain’t fried, it ain’t food.” Think again!

Younger children than ever before are now developing Type 2 diabetes due to our poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle. We live in the richest country, we have the finest foods and health care avalable to us and we are nutritionally deprived physical wrecks...

Our food plan for seniors contains two small protein/green meals because of their special dietary needs and your article affirms and confirms our superb products and plan.

Many of us feel lousy and are depressed because it is a direct result of what we eat. I have a number of clients that have gotten off of their meds (or their dosage was reduced) for depression as a result of changing their eating habits.

However, it’s interesting to note that once they reached a lower weight and began incorporating more ‘regular’ foods and less Medifast, some of their old symptoms returned and some have had to return to pharmaceutical intervention again, but at a reduced dose.

Sarah's link is very good and I say, "Thank you."

I am forever grateful to all of you who are taking your weight loss plan seriously, who are following the programs we've designed for your success and who are becoming healthier and happier as a result.

People, I love the fact that Sarah is using her (Hmm..I was gonna say her ‘muscle’ here but perhaps her ‘fat head’ would not be appropriate either because she is indeed in the thinning stage!) information storage device properly!

BTW, Berk, I am really pleased with your weight loss success, too. Keep on keeping on!

~ Leopard Woman stands corrected and slinks back to her leopardy office chair perch in the MakeMeThinner Cottage , head held not quite so high.


Who knows? Perhaps it is left-over trans fatty acid damage due to deep fried shrimp she snarfed down last Sunday afternoon at Red Lobster’s fabulous Shrimp Fest?