The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[hannah]

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I've been on medifast for 5 weeks now and have lost 10 pounds. I have 60 to go. I'm quite discouraged a) because even in the first week I didn't have the 'big water loss', which on any diet you can at least lose 4-5 pounds. The average weight loss claimed by medifast is 3-5 pounds per week. I'm on the modified plan, drinking minimum 64 oz water, if not usually more. I haven't done much exercising to start (as recommended by program), but started doing quite a bit of walking because I was on a trip. I feel like I've already plateaued and I haven't even really gotten started!!

Next problem I have--does anybody have a constant metallic taste in their mouth?

Third problem--is that since starting medifast, I've had 2 cycles of BC where Aunt Flo has come earlier and stayed a few days longer. I would have expected this perhaps to happen with greater/faster weight loss but not at the very beginning. Any feedback?

Hannah

[LongWay2go]

Hi Hannah,

First of all, been there, done that! The modified plan, I mean. If your eating food, you really MUST keep a daily diary! Your brain will trick you into "forgetting" things you have eaten, and if you weigh your food, how bad can it be if the chicken weighs 4 ounces instead of 3? REAL BAD!!!

Being fat means that your brain has been fully trained to make your body eat more than it needs to survive. It does that with cravings. It does that with trickery. It does that with passiveness. This is a WAR with your brain not your body and you must understand that if you are to succeed.

If you keep an honest food diary (include your feelings every day too!) you'll probably see that you aren't sticking to the plan like you think you are. You need to exercise. Believe it or not, it will actually make you feel better and sleep better at night!

I experienced the metallic taste (and bad breath) when I was on the OptiFast plan, so I expect I'll get that same thing on MediFast (I just started the program 2 days ago). If you brush regularly, carry a small bottle of mouthwash in your purse and in a pinch, use those Listerine Pocket Pack strips you won't be so bothered by this. Don't let it become an excuse to go off the diet!

Can't help you with "Aunt Flo" being as I'm a male but I do remember that being discussed in the OptiFast meetings. Anytime you have a concern like that, talk to your doctor. You are hopefully having your program monitored by him/her anyway!

Best wishes and keep the faith!

-Gerald

[Simmshe]

Hi Hannah,

Sorry to hear of your disappointment with your loss so far. I'm no expert on this, but have a few questions/comments for you about things that may be affecting your weight loss:

1) How many supplements (and which ones--shakes, bars, etc.) are you having each day in addition to your meal?
2) Have your bowel movements been regular? I know, not the kind of thing you want to talk about, but being irregular can really affect your weight, showing an additional 1-5lbs when backed up.
3) In the Medifast starter guide it says that some women may experience cycle irregularities because when fat is loss so quickly, excess estrogen is released along with the fat. The fact that your cycle has been irregular may be attributed to this. And if this is so, that means that you have definitely loss a lot of fat; perhaps more than what the scale is showing.
4) The fact that your cycle has been infrequent may be contributing to extra water retention. You might have ovulated, twice in the same month, and this can cause two-three weeks of water retention (this happened to me before Medifast). We always retain water (I retain between 4-7lbs myself) before Aunt Flo shows up and after she arrives. So, I'm looking at a 10-day or so period a month where the scale does not move (it did it this past month for me, too). You could be retaining 5-10lbs of water until your hormone levels normalize and extra water is shed.
5) You said that you are drinking a minimum of 64oz of water--how much above that do you go sometimes? Many of us, myself included, drink between 96-128oz of water a day (some even drink 140oz a day! But I think your activity level kind of dictates this). Yes, this is a lot of water, but it really helps with the weight loss.

Gerald gave some pretty good advice, too. If you could list what you eat during an average day (including any chewing gum, artificial sweetners added to coffee, bouillon cubes, etc.) this would be helpful. Also, the metallic taste in your mouth is indicative of you being in ketosis, the fat-burning state, so it sounds like you are doing things well.

I'm sure Nancy and others who have been on this plan longer than I have can offer some comments and advice.

Hang in there ! Let us know what your daily menu and activity level (do you have a desk job, do a lot of walking everyday, other exercise, etc.?) is--someone can most likely give you an idea of any adjustments that you may need to make.

Sheryl

[Nancy]

Hannah ~

Welcome to the Forum. Yikes! I am so sorry - I didn't see your post until just now....fogive moi?

Yes, methinks there's something unusual going on if your weight loss has been but 10 pounds in 5 weeks.

I want your daily food plan - the times of day you eat, what Medifast products you eat (and how many), how much meat in ounces and what kind of veggies and how much...

How much walking have you been doing? Some or a lot? You may be doing some gentle walking or exercise but not intense yet - gradually build up to that.

Sheryl and Gerald gave you good advice - except no mouthwash unless it is sugar free...I'd suggest that you just brush your tongue, scrape it or use a dampened washcloth to clean your tongue and roof. Drink plenty of water.

What meds do you take? Got thyroid issues? Diabetes? Huh?

Let us know and we can help you to figure out what's going on.