The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Carrie]

of our Medifast lives......

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? How many shakes does it take to get to my goal weight?

Camille said something very important today. THIS IS NOT A RACE. Too often all we can think of is how fast we can lose the weight, and this attitude sets us up for - if not failure - then at least some serious grumpiness.

I see people come on and post the “how much weight can I lose in 'x' weeks” question - and I think ‘Uh oh, too fast is never enough.’ Heck I did the same thing, the first time I signed on to the website I saw Nancy’s stats, and started calculating in my head how fast I could get there. And NO it is not easy to see only a 1 pound loss over the course of a week, or the really rotten weeks when there’s been a gain – but the truth is – there is only one way to get the weight off – and that is to work this program for as long as it takes.

I understand, truly I do - I wish to high heaven that I was already at my goal weight. But I'm not. And it will take me several more months to get there. But you know what? Those months are gonna pass with or without me following my program. My birthday in November is gonna come whether I’m 266.5 pounds or 135 pounds. I can’t stop the date from coming but only me myself and I can determine what weight I am when that day rolls around. Sure I’d love to be at my goal weight – but what if I’m ‘only’ down to 175 or so? I can tell ya it’ll be a pretty fantastic birthday – being at a lower weight than I have been in 10 years, and compared to my last birthday pushin’ 300 pounds – hmmmmm, I think I’ll be able to find a way to celebrate.

I have WASTED the last 12 years of my life being miserable because I’m fat. What’s a few months compared to those 10 years, or the rest of my life? Today is day 108 for me on this diet – and you know what? Though I have had excruciating moments that lasted hours, and some days that were really rotten, on the whole the time has flown by and I cannot believe I am about to complete my 16th week of Medifasting. 108 days ago I weighed 266.5, today I am 223.8. Heck yeah, I’d love for the loss to be more, but if this is how my body needs to do this, then so be it. And compared to 266.5, I’LL TAKE IT!

This is not PRIMARILY about quantity of weight loss within a prescribed period of time (i.e. if I can’t lose 100 pounds in 3 months then it’s not worth it, kind of thing), it IS about losing it safely, healthfully and keeping it off. Don’t let a deadline or a perceived timeline stop you from starting and then continuing to lose weight. That’s a copout.

Some of us lose faster, some of us slower. But this isn’t a race. It’s about all of us getting to the ‘finish line’ in good health and happy.

Carrie

[Sylvia]

Carrie,

I can't agree more. I admit that when I started the program it was with the expectation that I would be to my goal weight in a certain (short) amount of time. I'm doing well with the weight loss, but not quite as well as I had originally planned or hoped. I decided that this could either be like every other program I've tried in the past (start with best intentions, get frustrated, cheat, go back to old habits) or this could be the last program I ever do. I became "recommitted" and decided that it is going to take however long it takes and I am going to stay true to the program.

I have been doing this about 6 1/2 weeks and have not cheated (although I have done the modified plan a few days which were planned in advance) and have not once thought about going off the program. I am so determined that it has really come down to "when" and no longer "if".

I know you will be successful and that you'll have a skinny birthday this year!

Sylvia

[explorthis]

I have WASTED the last 12 years of my life being miserable because I’m fat

GAWD, what a great post…

I look back, I am 42 years old, and did the brief stint 22 years ago on Optifast, gained it all back as fast as I lost it. T-W-E-N-T-Y years I have been substantially overweight. Not a day went by for those 20 years (calculate: 20x365 = 7,300) Seven Thousand Days I thought about my weight in some way or another. Tell me any one of you that has not thought on a daily basis (since you were overweight) about your weight. 7,000 uncomfortable days

Guess what – I won no race, but I won the battle. I am no longer uncomfortably overweight.

New calculation: 283 days ago I began Medifast; I reached my (rough) goal 120 days into those 283 days 283-120=163 days of freedom. Guess what? These past 163 days have been the best days of my life. Don’t get me wrong, I have a good life, and always have, blessed to no end. But being on the other side of the fence makes 1 day worth 1 year. I would not trade any of the past 163 days for anything. I can tell you, not an hour of any waking day is not without thought of the NEW ME. These are thoughts I can live with forever. Eventually, the newness will probably wear off, and I will be the thin guy I am now. That’s OK I’ll take it.

Carrie is 100% CORRECT – this is not a race. Everyone loses at a different rate of speed. I do know this… Only take offense to this if you see yourself here: The more you give into temptation, and move Medifast to the backseat, the LONGER it will take you to lose the weight.

Let’s calculate again real quick… 7000 days of dire unhappiness for me, or 120 days of a little pain and hunger in dieting? (and the pain ain’t that bad) As I look back, that 120 days seemed like eons ago!!! Hmmm…. does not sound too hard to me. I am no magician. I have been on as many diets as ALL of you. I know every diet in the book. Tried-Failed all of them. This one was different. God only knows why I waited this long to finally wake up.

Who says this all the time?: GET THE WEIGHT OFF. Do it now. This is a short stint. Life is short. Enjoy it now.

-Mike

[Amanda]

I completely agree with you. So many times over the past year and a half I would decide whether or not to go on a diet based on how fast I'd lose the weight. If I could lose fast I'd try it. If it was a gradual loss with exercise involved- no way. I figured if I only lost 1 pound a week -it was worth more being able to eat. Crazy huh?
For me to stay on a diet I need to have motivation and support- so many diets say here eat this.....And thats it. Then a what happens if, and what do i do when came up--no answers and I quit. Medifast has given me quick results which was my motivation. And when my what to do's and what if's come up I have the forum. This way I have someone to talk to who knows what i am going through.

This is not a race- it's a life change- and everyone's life is unique- but one thing that is the same throughout is if you work it- it will work for you.

[Alison]

The funny think is no matter how exasperated I get with my rate of weighloss I still am grateful for it. It gives me time to adjust to a new way of eating and learn not to abuse food. The harder this is for me the more i desire never to regain the weight. I can tell you if I blew off 30 pounds in a month I am sure I would justify going off MF for just one night here and there, thinking that I can just blow the weight off again really quickly. I know that won't work anymore. I now how a whole new attitude! Good post Carrie!!