The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[ChattieCathy57]

This has NOT been a good few days for me

I swear I have NOT cheated (that I know of) since I started this on March 26th .... I am now into my week 3 and have been getting these horrible hunger headaches everyday! The kind that squeeze right across your temples and your eyes.

I am so depressed

As of Sunday I lost 13 lbs (and remember I got on the scale mid-week and freaked out because it had me up 1.5 lbs!); Well, I did put the scale away until my weigh in on Sunday which had me down the mysterious 1.5 PLUS down another 2 ~ but I took it out this morning to move some things and (of course) I got on it; Not only have I not lost any weight .. but now it has me UP 3.5 lbs!!

HOW CAN THAT BE Could I possibly have reached a plateau after only 13 lbs!!??!! I have about 70 more to go, its not like my body is rebelling (is it?). I have not been under 200 lbs since my youngest son was born in 1991. Since I am out of the 220"S - do you think my body is starting to freak? This seems to be the weight that ALL diets just stop at!

So often I get the urge to just forget all about this... I was so UP when I started and now I feel like - yet another diet will not work for me

I really have not cheated. Some days I dont even have all 5 supplements because I am so busy at work that I dont have time for snack until it is time for lunch (and I dont double up). The only thing I can think of is that I put fat free 1/2 & 1/2 in my coffee (and I usually have four cups a day) and I dont measure that ... but would THAT make me NOT lose weight?? Seems such a small thing after the way I've been eating for, oh - say that last 20 years!

Please give me some of that wonderful advice that you all do .....
I really need 'yall now.

Thanks
Cathy

[supermom]

Okay Cathy, here goes. I am only on day 3, so it is all really new to me. But that being said, I know that it is VERY important to get in all 5 supplements. Take an egg timer to work or something to remind yourself to have your supplement. If you are eating your L&G at night, maybe you are going to bed too soon after. You know, not giving your body a chance to "use" it. As far as the headaches go, try to keep drinking your water. You might try excedrin instead of tylenol. If caffiene bothers you, don't do the excedrin. I just know that caffiene helps with headache. If you have cut out a lot of it from your diet, that may be why you are still having headaches. I haven't had one yet, but I probably will now that I said that!!HEHEHEHE Keep you head held high and don't give up. We are here for you. Have you been getting enough salt?? Sounds weird, I know, but if you are even slightly dehydrated you will not feel well. Maybe eat a pickle or some celery with salt. Talk to your Health Advisor to see what they think, and listen to the people on the boards. They, and I will get you through this.

[Shana]

Hi Cathy,
Please don't be too discouraged - weight loss is a funny, tricky thing, and Medifast is designed so that you get enough calories & nutrients to NOT put your body into starvation mode. When your body DOES go into starvation mode, it will start to hang onto every calorie you give it because it's afraid you won't give it any more, which causes all sorts of problems - so it's really important to eat all 5 Medifast Suppliments as well as your lean & green every day.

Regarding scales... well.. there are a couple of reasons mine is named Darn Evil, or Devil for short. I can get on the pesky thing 4x in one day and get a different reading each and every time depending on how much water I've consumed, how many times I've tinkled, how much salt I had, what time of the month it is, and what color panties I'm wearing
I weigh myself often just because I think it's interesting to see how the scale fluctuates, but, well.. I'm a special breed of weird AND scale weight tends not to put me in a funk if I'm up during the course of a day or two.

Since scale fluctuations DO bother you so intensely, can you have someone hide your scale from you or better yet keep your scale at someone elses house & only weigh when you see them (no, you can't keep it at your neighbors and pop over 2x a day ).

Tracking your success by tapemeasure and/or pictures might also be a better choice for you - you'll see losses in different parts of your body, and that will feel good too!

I know you can do this!
Shana

[falisamarie]

Cheer up sweety I really think that Vicky is right on this one, You really need to get all your meals in even if you forget than have one and then wait about an hour and have another but get them all in!

You can do this and you will win

Lisa

[ChattieCathy57]

I SO LOVE YOU ALL!

With all the feelings going on here this week, I never even THOUGHT about my body hanging onto everything for lack of! We all know THAT deal!

I promise you that I'll make sure I get all 5 supplements starting tomorrow (I'll even write everything down to remind myself).

I just HATE when my mind gets in a "funk" like this!
I am SO lucky to have this forum and all you wonderful Buddies to help me through this .. we ALL are lucky to be part of this "family of losers" ... you know, I am thinking that this may be another contributing reason why other programs have not been for me ... lack of support and common sense when your mind decides to have a hairy!

I know this is a working wonderful plan IF you work it ... I've seen it work with you guys and I will see it work MORE for me too

With the weather getting nicer, I am going to start my excercise routine by walking more each day too. My husband and I will go for walks (after he returns from his business trip Saturday) after dinner, that will help too.

I sure do love you guys
Cathy

[LovenElvis]

Cathy, please remember that you are going through the samething that most of us encounter. And its normally around the 3rd week.

It is normal for you to hit a plateau and you'll probably go through it again before you reach goal, but just remember that you are following the plan and your body will kick back in gear and you'll be loosing before you know it!!
HANG IN THERE!

Laura

[dede4wd]

Hi Cathy,

So glad you're feeling better! Just stick with it, it'll be okay! I had a hissy fit last week because I went two weeks with no losses AND the scale going up.

It cannot be stressed enough that you have to get all 5 supplements in. My suggestion if you're not feeling hungry is to try one of the cold drinks like the iced tea or the fruit punch. They're not as filling and you still get all the NUTRITION your body needs. The last thing you want to do is throw your body into concentration camp mode, it'll hang onto EVERYTHING it gets!

Don't forget the water and watch the coffee additives carefully until we can get you moving again! Don't give up, we're here for you! ANY TIME YOU NEED US!

DeDe

[Nancy]

Dear Cathy ~

I just poked my nose into the Forum this evening. I am happy to see that you are feeling happier now that the ambulances arrived.

We must not ever skip a packet - when we do, we are skipping 20 % of our nutrition. When we follow the prescribed program - all five packets plus the Lean and Green meal, our body gets all it needs to safely and rapidly lose the lardage.

When we follow the program, it is muscle-sparing.

If you feel shaky and weird, it can be from having too much caffeine - it usually doesn't take as much coffee to get buzzed once a person begins Medifasting. Having a lot of caffeinated diet pop can also affect how we feel, sometimes it increases hunger and diet pop in general can increase fluid retention because of its sodium content.

Cathy, this program differs greatly from other 'traditional diets' and the things we learn during the weight loss phase will help us with life-long weight control. To keep our glucose level in a steady balance, we must fuel ourselves regularly. When we go too long between meals, our blood sugar dips and we get shaky, headachy and our energy level drops off. Night time low blood sugars can give us headaches and can awaken us.

With Medifast, less is not more - having less food than what the program calls for does not result in more weight loss or faster weight loss.

With Medifast, more is not less either! When we have more than the program calls for, we do not lose weight rapidly and cravings return, making it more difficult to avoid overeating.

With Medifast, enough (5 & 1) is enough and enough results in rapid, safe weight loss.

Put those scales away!

Do we need to send the scale police over there and haul them away?

Once a week is plenty often to weigh.

Did you take your 'before' picture?

Have you measured yet?

Do not give up.

Three weeks from now, you will be glad you stuck it out.

What have you got to lose?

This is not easy, Cath. Losing weight is the hardest thing I have ever done but I am so glad that I did not quit when the going got tough. Maintenance is really hard. Learn all you can now during the losing phase; it will help you to keep those 50 pounds from never returning. If ya do it right, this is the last time you have to go through this.

Hangeth in there.

You are strong. You can do anything for three hours.

[Diana]

Hi, Cathy -- I'm glad you're feeling better!

Whenever the topic of headaches comes up, I just can't help myself! So, here goes...

#1 EAT!!! Get those supplements in!!! If you're not hungry, it's 'cause you're in a light state of ketosis -- which is good. AND fluctuating blood sugar (as comes from not eating on a regular schedule) can trigger headaches.

#2 From one fellow coffee drinker to another (and a lifelong migrainier), try to shif to decaf. It still has some caffeine in it. Try doing half caf/half decaf for a while, then just switch to all decaf except on the hopefully infrequent days your body needs caffeine. (And when I started measuring my half-n-half, my weight started moving immediately. Two tablespoons a day, not per cup.)

#3 From my own experience, and from my neurologist -- it may not apply to you, but I'm passing it on. Don't go for the Excedrin more than once a week. I was taking it once or twice a day and it was actually CAUSING rebound headaches.

#4 Walking will be good. Regular, mild exercise can also ward off recuring headaches, depending on the headache. Remember, though, to follow the guidelines and listen to your body.

#5 (which should really be #1), please go talk to your health care professional about your headaches.

Here's to our mutual success!
Diana

[Arklahoma]

Cathy,

You've gotten tons of great advice and all the bases have been covered. I just wanted to let you know that I read your post and am thinking about you. Just cheering for you on the sidelines!

[Pashta]

Excedrin has caffeine in it.