The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[brown1823]

Hi,

I am VERY NEW -- Ok I just found this website today. I just starting to research this diet and have a couple of questions...

1. How hard was it going from eating food to only having liquid?

2. What kind of side effects did you have when you first started this diet?

3. How many pounds, on average, do you loose a week --- please note how much you want to loose. Obviously a person that only has 35 pounds to loose versus a person (like myself) who has 100 pounds to loose will loose at a different rate.

4. What do the shakes taste like and do you have a favorite?

5. Do you just have shakes or do you add one bar in a day?

I would really love to hear you stories (the good and the bad). I need a realistic view of this diet. I am eager to hear from you.

Thanks for taking the time to answer all of my questions.

Kerry

[kassilou]

1. How hard was it going from eating food to only having liquid?
I was psyched to do this diet, so no problems. Plus you can do the 5 &1, so you get a "real meal" each day. Also, there are oatmeals, puddings, soups and bars as well as shakes.

2. What kind of side effects did you have when you first started this diet?
Little dizzy the first couple of days. Did some extra boullion (salt) and was fine. I didn't have any headaches...actually my "regular" headaches have pretty much subsided.

3. How many pounds, on average, do you lose a week --- please note how much you want to lose.
I started with 160# to lose. I've been on this 10 weeks now, and have lost about 40. That averages out to 4#/wk, but some weeks it has been a pound, and some weeks 5 (not including the first couple weeks when loss is fast).

4. What do the shakes taste like and do you have a favorite?
My favorite shakes are the banana, and I also like the vanilla. I add DaVinci syrups to them, and sometimes crystal light, too. Don't really care for the chocolate shakes. Love the pb bars and caramel nut bars. Couldn't stand the chocolate bars.

5. Do you just have shakes or do you add one bar in a day?
I have a bar most days. Usually I have 1 or 2 oatmeals (made into cookies), 1 bar, 1 pudding, 1 to 2 shakes, as well as the "lean and green" when I only have 5 supplements.

This has been the best diet I have ever been on. I've not had any negatives. Usually I am crazed by thoughts of food, even having dreams about eating off my diet, but not on this. I just came off a plateau that lasted about 8 days, so expect that to happen. If you stay compliant to this diet, drink LOTS of water, the weight will come off.

There are a couple good books to read about liquid dieting. "My Big Fat Greek Diet", "Success in a Shaker Jar", "Life is Hard, Food is Easy" (I'm still working on this one) are very helpful, and these boards are great.

Hope this helps.

[24KaratGold]

Hi Kerry, and welcome to the boards!

I do the 5 and 1 plan, meaning that I have five MF supplements a day plus my "lean and green" meal which is protein and a salad or green veggie. And there are so many products -- oatmeal, chili, soups, etc. -- that I tend to not think of this as a "liquid diet." I even take the chocolate shakes and mix them with just half the water (4 ounces) and put it on ice and have a frozen chocolate treat once in awhile that reminds me of a fudgesicle. And there's a recipe in the Lean Cuisine forum for making totally legal oatmeal cookies out of the apple cinnamon oatmeal.

I started this plan on January 3, with 104.5 pounds to lose, and as of this morning I am down 48.5 pounds. Some weeks have had bigger losses, and some smaller. The first week is always a biggie, of course, and then, for example, last Sunday I was down just half a pound. Today I'm down 3.5 from last week.

The first three days of this plan are the ones that can be a bit difficult (I'm lucky that they really weren't for me), as your body gets rid of toxins and adjusts to the plan, and gets into ketosis. After that, it generally gets easier, though of course there are always some days when one really needs the support that is so freely available here to get through.

My favorite of the shakes is the Dutch Chocolate, though I like the orange pineapple too. And the Creamsicle one (from the FIT! products, marketed towards teens but fine for adults too) also makes a great frozen treat, Bars are limited to just one a day, and I have one every day -- it's like a treat.

I am 47 years old, and have been overweight all my life (though fortunately not to the extent that I was when I started this plan -- I gained 35 pounds after a car accident two years ago). I wish with all my heart I had had this plan 20 or 30 years ago, and I recommend it unhesitatingly.

My best girlfriend has gone fromo 368 to 268, also doing the 5 and 1 plan, since Labor Day, 2004.

If you register on the forum, you will be able to view people's signature lines, which often contain information in them as to how long they've been on plan, what their start weight was, how much they've lost, and what their goal weight is. Plus you will be able to send private messages to others on the board to ask questions or chat -- people here are friendly and supportive.

Good luck in making your decision -- I again can't say enough about how great this program is, and the fact that they use it at Johns Hopkins is a biggie for me, because that is a name I trust.

[brown1823]

Thanks for all the great information! It helps hearing from those who are "in the trenches". I appreciate how each of you took the time to answer each question.

Thanks again,
Kerry

[dlr2424]

Kerry....you will be amazed at the support you will recieve from this forum.!!!... .....this forum & Medifast far surpasses any weight loss program I've tried...(and I've tried more than you could imagine.... )... it makes the journey so enjoyable....read as much as you can....wishing you the best in whatever path you choose....
Donna...dlr2424

[hhyta]

Kerry, What everyone has said so far is absolutely true. This is a fantastic program. I feel great and so does my husband. In six days, together we have lost 18 pounds! I have been so depressed for the past nine years, as I have been thin my whole life, then developed a hormonal disorder that has absolutely wreaked havoc on my life, gaining approx. 90 pounds, plus various other medical problems. Give this a shot, the shakes are pretty good, and can even be doctored up a bit, haven't had the MF food yet, still doing the full fast. The best part is the support-it is amazing how much people you don't even know care and support you. Good luck ! Heidi

[Nancy]

Welcome to you, Kerry ~ we have new people peeking in here all the time.


1. How hard was it going from eating food to only having liquid? Actually it is not ALL liquids. It can be, if you need to lose a lot of weight like I did – over 100 pounds. I CHOSE the shakes only approach but one must do so under the close supervision of a doctor. Most people are on the 5 and 1 and use a variety of Medifast products.

2. What kind of side effects did you have when you first started this diet? Let’s see: increased energy and confidence, used a 6 pack of toilet paper a week, discovered clothes in my closet that I hadn’t seen for years, I missed my foodie friends terribly the first few weeks: Ben & Jerry & Butterlicious Micro Popcorn.

3. How many pounds, on average, do you loose a week --- please note how much you want to loose. Obviously a person that only has 35 pounds to loose versus a person (like myself) who has 100 pounds to loose will loose at a different rate. I lost about 3.5 pounds per week. I lost 135 pounds.

4. What do the shakes taste like and do you have a favorite? I think they taste great. I didn’t like the smell when I first started using them. I LOVE Dutch Choc and Chai Latte and Nanner.

5. Do you just have shakes or do you add one bar in a day? I have both shakes and a bar for maintenance.

I would really love to hear you stories (the good and the bad). I need a realistic view of this diet. I am eager to hear from you. You an read part of my story in my Noember Newsletter here’s a link http://www.makemethinner.com/newsletter/medifast-august-newsletter.htm

Thanks for taking the time to answer all of my questions.

You are welcome, Kerry. We hope you join us on the journey to optimal health.