The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[RareBear]

Should one step on the scale? And if you don't see a weight change in two days, is that reason to suspect you're doing something wrong?
RB

[explorthis]

Suspect? Ok, we have talked this topic before, I like revisiting good topics. PERSONALLY I like the scale. Don’t say, oh you’re a Man; it’s different, cause it’s not. I may lose faster, ‘cause I am a Man, but the game is the game (may I call it a game?) It’s weight loss pure and simple.

Define suspect:
To surmise to be true or probable; imagine
To have doubts about; distrust.
To think (a person) guilty without proof

I suspect we all know if we are doing something wrong or not. It’s not magic, it’s a life change. We have done wrong things most of our lives, thus our commitment to Medifast. I know for a fact when I am doing something that is not par for the maintenance course. I know before I put something in my mouth weather it is right or wrong, or suspect, as do you. This is my choice, as it is yours. It is YOUR choice. 42 years I have done the suspect – wrong things, and because of it, I was 100+ pounds over weight period. Now my life has changed. I made this change. I chose to NOT do the wrong thing anymore, but to make a valiant effort to keep the weight off, by choosing the right things.

Weigh whenever you want. There is no magic schedule. If you are true to the program (Medifast) NO MATTER WHAT you will lose weight. It might not come off as fast as you want it to, but did the weight appear as fast as you wanted?

I can tell without even standing on the scale weather it’s gonna be an up day, or a down day, or a non move day. I can feel it in my body, as can you, or as you eventually will.

I say be true to yourself. Step on the scale once a day, twice a day, or once a month, it’s your call.

-Mike

[Sylvia]

I step on the scale every day (actually, if I'm honest, I step on twice a day - once in the morning and once at night). There are many times the scale doesn't move and even some when I gain a few ounces. I understand that this will happen and have decided I can handle it. What I can't handle is not having that daily accountability.

Now that I'm doing MF, I could actually if I wanted to weigh less frequently because as Mike always says - if you do this, you WILL lose weight. I am trying to establish the habit I believe I will need to continue to succeed after MF. In the past, I've weighed religiously while on the program du jour and then never once off. Suddenly, I'd wake up one day and say, "time to start again" and the scale would be 10, 15 , even 20 pounds higher than it was the last time.

I plan to follow Nancy's motto of never being 5 pounds over my goal and never having 2 bad days in a row and the best way I know to make sure of that is to weight every day.

[Guest]

I appreciate your response, but I think your analyzing my question incorrectly. I started the program six days ago this morning & have lost weight everyday, for a total of eight pounds, up until today. I just want a better understanding of what my expectations should be and how often one is recommended to weigh in.
BTW: While I know your intentions are the best, the borderline accusations of various game playing (i.e. gender) somewhat undermine your message. I suggest you get to know me better before you go down that road.
RB
Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

[RareBear]

Thank you Sylvia

[Guest]

Here, here!! Emerson said it better than i could have.

[Carrie]

Ok.

Before we have a total forum blow out let's just take a step back here.

Rarebear - as a new person - and one who, based on your response, is not very familiar at all with our forum, I would suggest you 'get to know' Mike better before you assume he's slinging accusations and making sexist comments. He's not.

Mike's comments with regards to gender are referencing the fact that men lose weight faster than women do. And he means that if you are a woman, not losing as fast as a man is no reason to not weigh yourself when you choose to do so. Period. There is no hidden sexist propaganda.

Second, his using the term 'game' is merely attaching a label to this process we are all trying to be successful at, the process of losing weight. Frankly, in my opinion, it can be aptly labeled a game, but certainly others would not think so. I feel very often, that this akin to a mental game I must play with myself to keep going.

Finally, if you were familiar with Mike at all, you would know that things are very black and white, cut and dried with him. He does, at times, have the zealousness of the newly converted, and he deserves it. Mike's only reason for being here, is to celebrate his weight loss achievement and foster that achievement in us. Everything he does and says is meant to encourage and urge each of us to succeed.

I believe Mike meant that if you suspect you are doing something wrong, then you probably are, from a diet standpoint. If you suspect you are having a medical problem, of course, go straight to the Dr. He does not accuse you of playing any games, but tried to encourage 'non-suspect' behavior.

This is a medium of communication that is limited. It is easy to misinterpret one another. Nevertheless, each one of us is here to get and give support. Many of us have been there for one another for several months. And to date, no one has accused anyone else of anything. Might I gently suggest that as a new person here, you take a modicum of time to familiarize yourself with us before you assume someone is slinging anything at you.

I hope you do get to know us and find the support you need here.

Respectfully Submitted,
Carrie

Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly -
Plutarch

[RareBear]

So should the ownership be on me to get to know Mike, rather than Mike taking ownership for understanding my question? Mike seems to be in a position to advise, educate, and support MF dieters on this forum. I’ve read and re-read Mike’s response and, while I did gleam information from it, it didn’t strike me as supportive to my question and needs.
In fairness to Mike, I’m sure he receives many questions that have a hidden agenda, so it’s probably natural to want to label certain questions. But in fairness to me, I deserve to be taken at face-value with my question, with no assumptions made.
Maybe you need to reread my response, as it was not accusatory. In fact, I twice let him know I appreciated his response. But because he also laid a lot of stuff out there that I don’t own, I owe it to myself to make that clear to him. It isn’t “blow out” material, it’s simply expressing my point of view.
RB
The music that can deepest reach, and cure all ill, is cordial speech.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Jeanette]

RB:

The answer to your question is: Yes, there will be days that you are 100% on prgram, but the scale will not show it. It has to do with these wonderful bodies we have and how things get redistributed around once weight comes off.

Yes, we all live to see the numbers go down, but don't let those numbers dictate your mood for the day. Give it time.

Be faithful to the program, and it will be faithful to you. Guaranteed.

[RareBear]

Thank you, Jeanette. On an up note, it seems like the pants I'm wearing feel a lot looser.
RB
Inch by inch, life's a cinch

[Carrie]

Actually RB I did re-read your response several times. And what I see is clearly your assumption that someone is slinging 'borderline accusations' at you. A statement does not get much more accusatory than that.

It is impossible to respond to someones two sentence question without making assumptions, particularly when the question is as broad as yours is. Your question didn't offer any information other than the fact that it's been two days since you lost weight. If you want your question taken at face value with no assumptions made then you need to provide enough information for someone to answer it without needing to make an assumption. Or maybe Mike just thought he knew what you were talking about.

So let's see, when I read your question, I have to wonder.......... How old are you? How much weight do you have to lose? What gender are you? Are you exercising? Do you have any health issues that make it difficult to lose weight? Are you on any medications that may be affecting your weight loss? How long have you been on the program? Are you using the modified plan or full fasting? Are you approaching your goal weight? Is it that time of the month (if you are a woman)? How many bars are you eating each day? How many Medifast meals are you consuming each day and in what time frame? How much water are you drinking? Have you eaten any foods that aren't part of the program? Is it ok that you haven't lost weight in the last 2 days? I don't know. I can't tell based on what you said.

Mike read your question and interpreted, by your use of the word 'suspect', (and taking its definition literally) that you were perhaps eating things not on the program. There are a significant number of other ways your query could be interpreted.

My interpretation of Jeanette's response to you is that she felt you were asking 'If I'm staying on the plan, and if I'm healthy, and if etc etc etc everything else is normal, is it ok that I haven't lost weight in 2 days?' Maybe she guessed right.

Is it Mike's fault for reading your question and thinking he knew what you were talking about or is it your fault for not providing enough information that it is CLEAR what you are asking? And is it your fault that instead of simply clarifying what you meant you jumped to the conclusion that he was making 'borderline accusations'?

I do see that you thanked Mike for his response, but your interpretation that he was making 'borderline accusations of various game playing' was WAY off base, and is one of the most unfriendly, rude and accusatory things I've ever read here. And I liken a new person coming here and behaving that way to a stranger barging into someone else's house and proclaiming 'You're wrong, you don't belong here.'

People misinterpret things all the time here, but never before has someone claimed that someone else was slinging 'accusations' at them. Instead what we usually do is simply say 'Hey, that's not what I meant - what I mean is.....' - and the confusion is cleared up. There is a world of difference between that and responding as you did.

And I can tell you from experience that had you simply said 'Hey Mike, that's not what I mean.' He would've immediately apologized and tried to answer your question. I do not consider cordial speech to include 'borderline accusations of various game playing'. Perhaps you do, and we have yet another difference in assumptions, and shall have to agree to disagree.

Carrie

[RareBear]

You know what, Carrie? This was not about finding someone at fault nor was it about looking for an apology from anyone for my part, but it seems to be from yours. I’m not going to go down this negative path with you, as it’s counterproductive.
RB

[Jeanette]

Okay, enough!!! Let's all play nice!!

RB, was your question answered to your satisfaction?

[RareBear]

For the most part it was, Jeanette.
Thank you.
RB

[Carrie]

Actually, yes, you did ask me whose 'ownership' (ie fault) it was, so I told you. Other than that, my response was an advocacy of the expectation that people be responsible for what they say here, with the intention of being helpful not hurtful.

Or to put it succinctly, it echoes Jeanette's entreaty that we 'play nice'.

Carrie