The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[explorthis]

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mike, and I have a problem with food. I successfully lost over 100 pounds about 10 months ago on Medifast, for the first time in my life. I have a problem with food. I have maintained my 100+ pound loss for about 10 months until now. Over the past 1-1/2 months, I have gained upwards of 12 pounds over my original goal. I have a problem with food. Once I saw this weight creeping back, I began my “do over” to lose this unwanted gain. I can and have gotten off 2-3-4 pounds, then a social blunder happens, and I lose sight of all my progress, and some unplanned social manipulation takes over my brain. I have a problem with food. Why am I able to consistently, for the most part do well at home, in the presence of my supportive family, but soon as I get out with friends, or associates, I lose control? I have a problem with food. Went to visit a relative yesterday with my family. I had been extra good all day, up until the point the relative orders pizza. Thoughts go through my head for a few minutes, I am and have been doing well, and I can control this, and have 1 maybe 2 slices of pizza. I had 3. I have a problem with food. Why? I know I should only or only need 1-2 for lunch, but I have 3. I could have easily had 5. I have a problem with food. I knew for God given fact, while I was eating that 3rd slice that I was in the wrong, but I purposely ate it anyway. I have a problem with food. Once home, I was back on track, and easily controlled what I ate. Why can I do this at home, but not abroad?

Last week, as most of you know I was on travel for my job for 3 days, and ate improperly. I did not eat loads of food, but ate foods, and drank alcohol that I normally do not do in my controlled environment. I have a problem with food. Currently I am 11 pounds over my original goal of 223. I know based on what I ate yesterday, I will have a loss of 2 pounds 24 hours from now, as the pizza was loaded with sodium, and based on the fact I ate very lightly for the remainder of the day, and prior to going to this event. This does not bring me any closer to the 223 I earned. It is just water weight. I am still 9 pounds over my goal.

I have read many times that food is a social issue, and had resolved once the weight was off, that I would be able to beat this. I think I am wrong, but I also know that I must have control, or I will never be able to keep the weight off.

ALL of us know how hard this is. Some have an easier time, and some have a harder time losing the weight. I think including Nancy, it is HARD to keep it off. I have a problem with food. WE have a problem with food, and need to take accountability for our actions. Only we, each one of us individually can do this. Yes, the forum is a helpful arena for all of us to vent, but it is not the 100% answer to all of our problems. Ever see the regular posters who are here day to day, disappearing? Wonder why they leave? I bet (and this is my opinion) that they fall off the wagon. I know, even for me, as a regular poster, this board helps. It helps all of us to learn from each other.

I don’t have all the answers. This is not a post soliciting exercise advice. This is to make a point about food, and social interaction – something all of us deal with on or off of Medifast. Something that will haunt me, and probably you for the remainder of our lives.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

-Mike

[Sylvia]

Mike,

I really feel for you. I can so see myself in this post. This is why I think that the weight loss phase is actually much easier than maintenance. Maintenance is forever and causes us to use skills we frankly have never had (or we wouldn't have been fat to begin with).

Not to preach - and I know you've heard this many times before - but I'm starting to think the key to maintenance is exercise. I have been reading a lot of materials on weight loss and what differentiates those who lose temporarily from those who keep the weight off. The overwhelming answer is exercise.

People who have kept significant weight off over time have almost universally added moderate daily exercise to their lives. If you are interested, there's a book I've read called "The Step Diet" (can I say the name?). Anyway, wasn't much interested in the diet, but there was some really good info about how to keep weight off, why most diets ultimately fail and the tradeoffs between diet and exercise.

Anyway Mike, you've come too far to fail now. Kick yourself in the butt, go back on MF full-time and drop those 11 pounds. Then resign yourself to the fact that you still need to make some more changes to make this a permanent thing.

Another great thing about this board is that you are accountable. As a matter of fact, you have the dubious honor of being more accountable than most of us because you (along with Nancy, of course) are THE model of MF success. So if you can't do it for yourself, do it for all of us. Most important - DO IT!

Sylvia

[shineface]

Hey Mike----

Remember me??? Your post this morning really hit me -- I have been living in the life of maint for the past few months and really freaked when my weight crept up 8 pounds -- and STUCK!!! It could only get worse - this I know to be true. Getting back on track - starting day 7 today - clean and working the MF program with the same enthusiasm I did in the beginning-- already down to my pre-maint weight -- KNOW HOW I DID IT?-- for the most part- I've locked myself into the house and told everyone I'm on the verge of a flu. Total lie. During maint I watched what I ate for the most part- kept using MF products to keep balance and did ok. For two weeks I said H-ll with it and then, a solid eight pounds - this came from eating the little extras- not gorging or binging - just taking that third piece of pizza or having six beers thru an afternoon or-- having cheese and crackers before dinner or for dinner. The weight thing with me - my fat disease is insideous. I do need to live everyday in a planning mode during maint - or I will go back to being Fat and miserable. Mike, we both know what we need to do-- doesn't make it any easier. We are fatties. Some days we're happy fatties, some days we're sad or angry fatties - heck, some days we are thin fatties - but bottom line = inside we are fatties. For me, I know I need to cognizant of this fact every day -- thankfully, I have found that I don't have to obsess about it BUT I do need to be aware and have my guard ready to go up. I'm not like all of my friends and the ones I am like (fatties) I am choseing not to be participating in the fattie parts of my behavior with - there are just some people that I know are dangerous to me - binge-o-rama!!!! Still my friends- not my eating buddies... Again, we know what we need to do.
You are a miracle. I know that you know that and I also know that you have stayed humble even through all of our positive and glowing compliments to you - your post this morning demonstrates that in volumes.
You know Mike- I don't excercise - never have - never will have any kind of a desire to do it. Since I lost the weight I find myself in situations that surprise me - like going to a fair or Block Island for the day and being able to walk 3 or 5 miles with feeling like I'm gonna die. Way cool - am I gonna get my butt outta bed and do it alone in the morning - or even with someone else - doubt it ... but I know I can do it now without dropping dead - WAY COOL---
Today we both know Life is Good today - but I'm not going to bombard you with platitudes..... what I am going to do is remind you of everything you have already learned and then JUST DO IT!!!!!

--HANG TIGHT BUDDY - WE NEED YOU - I NEED YOU - YOUR FAMILY NEEDS YOU - YOUR FRIENDS NEED YOU - YOUR COLLEAGUES NEED YOU - BUT MICKEY D -HE DOES NOT NEED YOUR NOR DOES PAPA JOHN....

WE WILL DO THIS TOGETHER!!!

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Yes, Mike, we here in the Western World -the most advanced part of the modern world- have the worst diet in the entire planet! And it's killing us. We've unfortunately now influenced a lot of the Asian countries, who used to eat extremely healthy, into our fat early heart attack eating habits. Hey, why couldn't it be the other way around? Why can't WE start eating more fresh vegetables, fruits and fish? It is possible to make healthy foods that are fast and taste great - MF is an example. Albeit there is a small wave of healthy food consciousness making its way into fast food and grocery shelf items, almost all of what we encounter daily in restaurants, at parties, and at the grocery store, is essentially self-destructive to our bodies. Kudos to Subway for their efforts. I want more! Now that there's Splenda, let's see more products that satisfy and are good for us!

I'll get off my soap box now, but wanted to chime in with you about how so very difficult it is to successfully lose weight only to then face the constant barrage of an environment filled 98% with unhealthy fattening food choices. Come on food manufacturers! Get with the program!

As someone once said, the only way to change the world, is to change your own life. This you and I are doing. But, it could be made easier.

Camille

[susan]

mike,
you can take those pounds back off.this is what scares me cause I love bread and potato and chips and all the fating stuff so I have got to learn new habits after I get the wt. off.I think we all have a problem with this or we wouldn;t be struggleing with it .but you can do it you did it before just start slurping the shakes.
susan

[Jeanette]

My dear friend Mike:

No need to introduce yourself to me--you described me (and anyone else with a food problem) to a T. I knew it was me from the moment you said "I have a problem with food."

For me to give you advice would be like the student trying to teach the teacher, so I'll refrain from doing that. But know this: the very fact that you made yourself vulnerable to us all today is a sign that your success will continue. From the bottom of my heart, thank you....

[SusannaRosannaDanna]

Great thought-provoking post and replies as well. I've never been to maintanence and frankly, I'm scared of it at this point. I know it will be a struggle for me, I anticipate it and hope to use the next several months of medifasting to brace myself for it and educate myself on ways to survive it. I don't see how anyone (even Guido ) could NOT struggle from time to time.
I'm sorry that the social aspect of life is proving to be so challenging for you, just when you thought you had the problem licked (so to speak). Maybe it's a good thing that you are so "good" at home with family...you can let your meals go on automatic pilot at home and put the rest of your concentration on the problem areas.
Good luck--I'm rooting for you!

Susanna

[Lois]

Hi Mike,

You are one of my MF HEROES....and that has not changed!!!!!

You're SOOooo right. It is MUCH harder to stay in control when we're out of our home/routine. Yes, this is gonna be a DAILY effort for you, for me, for ALL of us. As you stated so clearly...I have problem with food.

Keep the faith, brother. This is all part of the learning and growing we must do to keep the weight off. Let those 11 pounds be your wake-up call. What you have already achieved is truely remarkable, amazing, and fantastic. There's NOTHING you can't do once you've set your mind to it.

I'm with you 100%.

love and hugs,

Lois

[izabelle]

Hello, my name is Izabelle, and I have a food problem!!

Its the little daily struggles that make us stronger and you are already a He-Man in my book!

My inspiration now and when I hit maintenence is another forum I belonged to...a low carbers forum (was on Atkins). I asked about Medifast and this is what I got from many people:

Results:

Everyone that had tried it....LOST WEIGHT! (means MF works)

Everyone that had tried it....GAINED WEIGHT BACK! ( they didn't)

Everyone of those same people said MF didn't work because they gained back the weight!!! Hmmmm!

HELLO!!! The diet didn't cause the gains...the old habits did!

OK. So my point is this-->You have already proven them wrong. You have realized that your old eating habits will only destroy all the hard won effort before it got any further. You have also found what triggers those old habits. YOU ARE A LOT FURTHER ALONG ON THE JOURNEY TO A HEALTHY YOU just by coming this far. (much further than the folks that are now on yet another diet and poo-pooing what worked for them once before...Medifast!)
It was a monumental power within you that allowed you to lose all the weight.
I commend you and hope that your will power will supercede that thick crust of flab enducing, quilt ridden slop. And please pray for me to pass it up too! LOL
Thank you for showing us this REALLY works and that we are all human. This post has also made me think more about my eating habits and how I can correct them before they become a problem down the road again. So, thank you again for that!
I am not bashing the Atkins way or any other diets that are out there. I just got tired of the verrry slow loss and side effects that came along with them. I stalled every 4-5 lbs and had physical side effects that weren't worth the year or 2 it would take to lose. Not to mention all the specialty foods that are expensive and cost just as much as MF but take twice as long to get the results I was looking for. Anyone else been there?!!
Sorry for rambling![/i]

[DutchChoc]

Yes, Mike, I think you're right that people leave because they fall off the wagon. I'd say that some people leave if a problem develops that they suspect won't be tolerated. I think it comes down to knowing if people only want to hear and talk about what works and tune out whomever can't get it working, or whether it's really OK to mention the hard parts and the "bad stuff". For example, are we a group that's free to express problems with food, or are we here to tow the MF line and reward/discuss only compliant behavior? Some environments are tilted towards the positive-only.

I believe this problem -- pleasure in overeating -- is a deep-seated one that's complex and hard to understand. It can be, I suppose, a matter of "just doing it" -- just get on MF and stay there and eliminate problem -- but in reality there are loose ends we encounter. Fat is insideous and I nearly believe that fat cells really call for fat to become re-filled with. At times, without being decidedly "crazy", I swear that I really couldn't stop chronic overeating after losing weight until I had regained sizeable amounts. It was like being on a roller coaster and I did not feel able to get off and become compliant again. Was that merely true compulsion? I don't know the answer to that, either. I'd say it like you said it -- I have a problem with food. And yet, at the time, I like food VERY MUCH, I think, and enjoy it more at those times than I enjoy ME. I MIGHT NOT want to be pried from my tendencies to overeat at times; I might not want to deny myself. I think that's something that sets us apart from other people. Being in the frame of mind to take this seriously and "care" 24/7 is a tall order for a foodie. That's the mindset, and rather neurotic it is, certainly, that adds tension to the pure joys of losing weight and keeping it off.

I hope that we all figure this out because it's an interesting problem and it's crucial to our success. In your case, if social situations make things worse and you can control things better in your own environment, I'd have to suggest hedging your bets and stacking your deck in favor of being in those "right" places most of the time as a defense. For me, I have not really found myself protected in that way, so I'd say it's an advantage that you have. I'd use that if I could.

Thanks for looking for help and for providing so much strength. I'm reminded of the thread you posted though about the "what goes through your mind" thread as in "before you take that first bite?". Maybe this was before you were having significant problems to the extent of understanding the answer to that? In any case, this is a good place to find it and work through it. We all have things to learn and things to learn that we can learn at least some from one another.