The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Lissakay]

Hi everybody.

I'm having a tough time with this, but I am trying again. I lost my mind for a week, and it cost me 4 pounds. I started up again yesterday and am committed to making it without slipping up this time.

Losing weight is such an emotional issue for me. I miss that form of comfort....a lot, and this diet is really tough for me because if you cheat even a little you've blown it for at least 3 days.

I have enough Medi-food for 2 1/2 months and am not going to waste it.

If anyone has any tips for dealing with eating for emotional reasons (i.e., depression, anger, etc.) I'm willing to listen and try. I can't keep going at this weight, I have to find a way to change...how I have been living obviously isn't working.

I was even willing to eat after 3 weeks on Medifast, knowing that I would be sick to my stomach later (because my body wasn't used to digesting the food). Not good.

I read your posts and gleam encouragement from them everyday.

Lissa

[raederle]

Hi Lissa,

It takes a lot of guts to climb back on the wagon, so you must give yourself credit for that! Take comfort in the fact that you are headed in the right direction once again-- you're pointed the right way, facing downwind and downhill, and you just gotta keep putting one foot after the other. Harder than it sounds, I know, but it's gotta be easier than flailing around, directionless, and hopeless. At least when you're on MF, hope is with you. For me, that's a big thing.

I'm back from Vegas, and can tell you that I'm actually relieved to be back on 100% MF this morning. I had a great 4 days (despite my husband getting food poisoning on Sunday night-- 8 hours of non-stop retching-- no fun!); I had a MF shake in the morning, worked out every day, had a light brunch, and saved my calories for 3 gourmet dinners and lots of sugary drinks. I know I ate too much, but I also figured I'd be fine, I'd just restart MF on Wednesday.

The scary thing is that last night, the night before I knew I'd be returning to MF, I regressed to my old out-of-control eating. I ordered Chinese takeout and finished my dinner and then moved on to finishing my husband's crab rangoon and then rooted around in the cupboard til I located that bag of chocolate covered almonds. I finished em all while watching TV. I must have had 1500 calories in that one meal. And then, when I cleared the dishes, I discovered the two fortune cookies we hadn't eaten. I didn't even ask my husband if he wanted his. I just ate 'em both, hiding in the kitchen like the food thief that I was.

I went to bed scared witless. I had eaten like a crazy person, when I wasn't even hungry, when I wasn't even upset. I just wigged out and pigged out. If I had a reason for it, like a fight with my husband or a stressful day at work or a holiday party I couldn't bow out of, okay. But I didn't. There wasn't any trigger except knowing I was gonna deprive myself in the morning.

Sorry to ramble! But I wanted to tell you that, Lissa, to sympathize with you. As close as I am to goal (not sure how close-- I decided not to weigh til Sunday roll call), I am equally close to spiraling out of control. This *is* hard. You're not alone. Old habits are hard to break, and these food habits we've learned are *very* ingrained-- after all, we've been eating terribly for *years,* and only MFing for weeks/months.

But together, we'll keep heading in the right direction. Old habits die hard, but they *will* die, darnit! We'll find other things to turn to besides food when we lose our grip. It won't be automatic, at least not at first, and maybe not ever, but we *can* change. I really believe that. There's hope for us.

We'll get there, Lissa!

[Sylvia]

Rae,

Your experience in a nutshell is what I'm still most concerned about and where my struggles continue to be. I stayed true to the program until the end and did a relatively gradual transition. Even after transition I was EXTREMELY careful about everything I ate. As time has passed, I've become less careful to some extent but what concerns me most is episodes of eating as you described.

On a positive note, I am not even close to going back to where I was. First, I am much more in control of WHAT I eat and it is typically healthy food - virtually nothing fried or high fat. Second, even when I eat without being hungry, I eat less of better things than before. With that said, the fact remains that I am not completely in control. I eat when I'm not hungry and continue to eat... This is not good and I am having trouble controlling it.

I had planned to go back on MF for a few weeks - both to drop a few more pounds and to regain a better sense of control. I realized after the first couple of days that I simply could not do it if I wanted to keep up my training schedule. I decided that at this point, continuing with my personal trainer is more important to me so I have decided to wait until that is over in a few weeks to resume MF. I have also decided that I need to really focus during these few weeks on eating in a healthy, controlled manner. I will follow the Weight Watchers plan and will try to lose a couple of pounds in this time from simply eating properly. Given the number of calories I am burning from exercise, this should be achievable.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, just wanted to let you know that we're in the same boat. If you figure out a way to move past it, I would love to hear it!

Welcome back!

Sylvia

[LadyinVA]

Welcome back Rae,

Glad you had such a great time. I can see myself in your post. It's so funny that we all deal with the same issues.

I am getting ready to leave for a 3 day trip "with the girls" that was planned months ago. I, like you, was planning on being off program, but trying to make better choices. I know it will be hard to do MF on this trip....It is to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival (definitely no food or drink allowed in the Colliseum) and I will be doing some "white-glove duty" (for those of you familiar with quilting) so I know that getting the water in is going to be hard. I'm feeling dehydrated just thinking about it. But just knowing that I was planning to be "off-program" has left me fighting those feelings of wanting to eat things just because I can, or have given myself permission to, without even thinking about hunger. I've even thought about starting today since "Im going off tomorrow anyway". Some things just die hard, don't they. It is scary to think that these issues will probably never go away.

Anyway, I'm going to try to stay as low-carb and as low-calorie as possible. I will have some bars and shakes with me for the mornings and evenings. And I will definitely be totally back on the MF wagon come Sunday. I am really looking forward to this trip. I am hoping to get out of here before the snow storm hits (I may even leave this evening). There is NO WAY I am cancelling this trip......I need the break from my teenagers

[doglover]

Man lady's...we are all speaking the same language! I saw myself in Rae 100%. I am so fearful of doing the "eating out of control". I have these same issues. I eat for boredom sake. I work out of my house and am alone so much of the time. I put a TV in my office to try to keep my mind occupied. I'm only in my 3rd week and have been 100% compliant, but that does not mean I don't think about eating. I realize what a habit it has become for me to eat. I walk up the stairs to catch the phone, or check personal email, or simply go potty and my mind goes immediately to the cabinet! I used to stop by an grab that spoonful of peanut butter, or eat a quick cracker, or bite of cereal. All these little bites added up to 20-30 lbs of weight! I am trying very hard to focus on what I am thinking about. What can I do instead? Why do I feel the need to munch?

Lissa, when I started MF I wrote a list of things I could do when the urge to eat hit me. I knew I would need diversions during the day. So I wrote things like, put in a load of laundry, go get the car washed, go check my mail at the post office, call a friend, drive around. ANYTHING that would stop me from eating. It all worked although in the first week I actually went to bed to nap more than any of those other items as I was so tired! But the point is, make a list, put notes on your fridge/cabinets, give yourself visual reminders of what to do rather than eat. It will get better. I constantly have to think about my thinking about eating (did that come out right??) but I don't do it. I don't give up. I am sure this is exactly what alcoholics do. They are never cured. They have to think about it all the time.

Thanks for letting us all ramble like this! On a really positive note my Davinci Syrups just arrived! I can't wait to have my 4:00 meal!!!!! I may be the only person who gains weight on MF as I may not be able to stop eating shakes w/ peanut butter syrup Just kidding!

Have a great day shakin' buddies!
Donna

[kassilou]

What you are all saying is so scarily true for me, too. It is like being an alcoholic as it is not something I will ever be "over". I'm on day 23, and I can feel the difference inside my head, but part of me misses just numbing myself with food. It was a lot easier than having to think about why I was eating. In my young and foolish days I thought that once I was thin I could eat however I wanted. Now I know better...it will take constant vigilance to maintain. Not that I can't ever eat the good stuff, but not like how I would realllllly like to sometimes.

My kids always leave food on their plates. (Knowing what I know, I have never made them clean their plate. ) I will have to learn to eat like that....eat until comfortable, and not just keep eating because the food is still there.

Oh, and Donna, I know what you mean about the PB syrup. I just had three more delivered today! I go through that sooo quickly! Love it!

[doglover]

While we're talking about syrups - how much do you guys use in a shake/oatmeal/pudding etc? I looked in Lean Cuisine but cannot find an amt. Do you use the recommended 1 T. or less/more? Thanks for any insights!
Donna

[scrabbler7]

I think Unca Tim used half of Nancy's PB bottle in his choco joint shake!!! hehehe She got him good for that one!

But it's a taste thing Donna - they are pretty sweet - so give it one glug at a time to start out. Do your little taste test to see what your preference is. Better to start smaller than overwhelm your shake and have to make your MF shake into liquid drano

[Unca_Tim]

A couple glugs works for me. Any more and Nancy notices....

[Nancy]

What? Did I hear my name being mentioned?
It really is up to your particular set of taste buds. Mine prefer about 3/4 of a Tablespoon.

Re: Fear of porking out.

My fear never goes away.

I try really hard to eat according to the clock, not according to my whims or promptings from commercials.

If it isn't 'breakfast time,' I don't eat until it is brunch time. If I have eaten lunch and it is not yet linner time (3:30- 4 PM), I don't eat. No bedtime snackin' until the clock strikes 11 PM.

I prepare smaller amounts so I don't over-do it.

Sylvia, you say that you have a hard time knowing when to stop. I just cooked some green beans and mushrooms. I could have prepared an entire 1 pound bag of bean greenies and scarfed every last one of them.

While is was a good choice, prepared in a healthy way, a one pound bag of bean greenies is not an appropriate sized serving and it would need half a chicken to balance with the protein serving - and we all know that even the Colonel wouldn't permit the Leopard Woman to eat half a bird.

As we are Medifasting, we are learning about how much to eat, how often to eat and about balancing protein and carbs. At one point, I was under the impression that the protein to carb ratio ought to be 1:2 and actually, it is more like 1:1 and not more than 1:2.

Use smaller plates and smaller bowls. No refills permitted.

Like you, I have tried to analyze my eating triggers. Some are apparent, others are not - it comes over me with no true reason other than just a mindless desire to eat something carby. I do think that when I have failed to eat on time - allow too many hours between meals, and have not gotten enough rest, that I let my guard down and it then becomes more difficult to reason with myself.

Sylvia, as long as you are working out so aggressively, you would need to up your Medifast meals. When I first began to work out in earnest, I became an eating machine - coupled with my auto-immune acting up and the Prednisone increase, it scared me. I was eating too much and too often.

I'd suggest the women's bioengineered shake before a work out. It helps to build muscle and gives your body quick recovery.

This is not easy, Folks - We must be millitant and vigilant with ourselves! We don't have to be perfect to be successful. We do need to watch what we eat. Most true foodies are never 'cured' but we do become wiser.

[smartiegrrl]

Gah I know that feeling too. Between the hormones and this cold I have now, I have wanted to just super-cheat like you wouldn't believe. I'm still bloated and I've been getting all kinds of weird, messed up cravings. Two nights ago I couldn't get pancakes out of my head. I could *smell* them. I have no idea why I was craving that in particular. Worse, I was at a friends and she offered to go to a breakfast joint. I politely declined and managed to make it home and have my last shake.

But today... I kinda cheated and made some big compromises today.

I was *so* close to heading over to KFC to get some chicken and those nasty potatoes and gravy, a biscuit and weird mac and cheeze. Its gross, but its comfort food to me when I'm sick. I think I only like it because my taste buds are dull. Its the only time I eat KFC. Seriously.

I got in the car and I managed to talk myself into going to the grocery. I bought 5 plants. I spent about 45mins in the plant section just thinking and picking out plants. I did walk out of there with the lowest-cal skinless frozen fried chicken and as much as I wanted mac and cheese, I bought a package of that green giant broccoli with the "zesty cheeze sauce".

Once home, I weighed out 1 piece of chicken (5oz) and cooked it in the oven on a rack to let most of the fat dip on the pan beneath it. I portioned out 1 serving of the broccoli and set them both attractively on a salad plate. Yeah it wasn't lean and green, but I'm pleased I didn't go crazy-go-nuts and it shouldn't knock me out of ketosis. And my craving is gone and my stomach isn't angry with me. I think I learned a food choice lesson in there somewhere.

[Nancy]

Cheese, butter, white flour, skinless FRIED chicken...I'm refraining from a comment here...

[Mrsshrinkinglady]

This is an interesting thread.
I and my entire family have a nasty bug!
We are all sneezing, coughing, ear aches and fevers.
Now I have noticed that I am craving BAD things while this is going on!
Isn't it interesting that many of us crave comfort foods when sick and not just when stressed!
I have NOT given in to any of my temptations,but I am truly fighting it on an hourly basis right now.
I even went so far as to getting the no calorie, no sugars herbal box
of Emergen-C that I take when I feel I am coming down with something.
I will say I am getting better faster than my husband and daughter and feel that is partly due to my healthy eating on MF and being willing to drink the NOT so great tasting Emergen-C packets
I think for me at least the old adage that Mom had of feeding a cold and a fever are REALLY ingrained in my psyche!! I am NOT going to do so,but I will say that food is on my mind more so than it has been since I started MF in October.
BUT I WILL NOT GIVE IN!!!!!!
Hang in there those of you that went off plan and just jump back on!
I may not be seeing much weight loss so far this week, but I attribute that to having a fever and retaining a LOT of water,as I get better I will LOSE !
OK I am SO glad I came here tonight and read all your posts while eating my Oatmeal before bed.
Hang tough everyone!!
WE can do this!
Shrink aka Mary

[Nancy]

Mary, you are a AMAZING shrinking lady! Great advice and a good observation that some of us are used to medicating ourselves with food.

You know, while I was Medifasting, I never got a cold and others around me were dropping like flies...

Go to bed! Stay away from the kitchen! Have someone else in the family enter the Danger Zone and prepare you some soothing chamomile tea. Or have some HOT sugar-free Jell-O. It is soothing and tastes great.


Get well!

[BerkshireGrl]

Hiya Rae! Glad to hear Vegas was a blast! And I'm very impressed that you are sticking it through to 125! Can't wait to see that day for you... soon I bet!

Sorry to hear so many are sick - ugh! (me too! blech!)

Chicken & wild rice soup for all...