The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[brandy820]

Hi everyone! This seems like a nice forum.

I'm considering Medifast. I have about 70 lbs to lose and I'm just tired of my back and knees hurting and my body just feeling plain unhealthy.

I can't decide what to do. I've done WW but I struggle with the slow results. I'm unsure if I can afford Medifast, and if I decide to afford it if I can STICK with it!

Ugh. I just feel awful and would like to find the right way to do it. I saw a Medifast sign up in my cardiologist's office. I don't have bad cardio problems, just minor cardiomyopathy - of course an answer is to lose weight. I also now have mild sleep apnea. This overweight thing simply isn't working! I'm 30, with three little girls. I have a great hubby (after going through a divorce a few years back), a nice life and now is the time to do something!

Advice?!?!

Thanks!
Brandy

[nickieluv]

You do have to be sure it's the right plan for you - just doing it halfway will not get you the results. But if you're ready to commit, it is a wonderful program. A lot of people find the expense to be minimal when you consider what you would normally spend on food in a month anyway. Some even spend less over all when they are not hitting the drive thru five times a week and things like that.

I am 30 with two girls (the youngest 8 months) and struggling to get started, but I can tell you that the plan is really simple and doesn't take a lot of time in terms of food preparation - so if you're chasing after 3 kids, this will not add to your stress levels even though you have to eat 6 times a day. I recommend the crunch bars and the ready-to-drink shakes (which are pricey I admit) if you're looking for maximum convenience. I recommend the shakes and stew, chili, and oatmeal if what you're looking for is the 'real food' feeling and being more full.

One thing is for sure - MediFast WILL take the weight off if you surrender to the plan and do exactly what you're supposed to do. And it will do it quickly. You could lose those 70 pounds in 6 to 9 months - maybe faster depending on your particular metabolism and activity level and all that.

I hope you decide to join us - it's a wonderful road to health. Read up on origAUgirl in her journal if you'd like to know more about the right way to do MF. Avoid my journal unless you want to hear how badly it can go wrong if you don't commit to it fully. And check out Dogma and Lauren's posts to hear about success and maintenance. It can be done!

[brandy820]

Thank you for the response!

I had a doc appt too and I have to go and get an apnea mask... her idea was that it can be a temporary thing if I lose weight. It seems like I either have to do it 100%, or don't do it at all - I love food (or am addicted to food!) and it's so easy for me to fall off the wagon. I feel like totally restricting the snack stuff (unlike WW, which allows in healthy portions) is what I need to do.

I only spend about 400-500/month on food for all of us right now, so it'll be an expense, but I think that if I went on WW right now again, the costs would go up the same because I can't just buy what's on sale. My point is it'll probably be the same.

How do you handle following the plan entirely and watching your family - or husband - eating goodies? That must be hard. He did WW with me, I won't ask him to to this!

I'm so scared of 100% sacrificing for 6 or months. Dumb, I know, but scary.

I'll read up on those journals. Thanks again!

[brandy820]

I just realized - you are a NYer, also! I'm in the Albany area. And we weigh nearly the same also. Obviously we want the 2nd one to change, but it's neat to see someone my age, in my state and with the same weight loss to go!

[nickieluv]

Well, my husband did MF too for a few months and although you'd think it would be easier with him on it, it really wasn't. He did great and I was still cheating all the time. I know exactly how you feel, when you talk about giving up food for six months. It shouldn't be so hard or so scary, but it is. For people like us (I'm assuming a lot here, but it sounds like you are attached to food just as strongly as I am) I think there is no other way but 100% compliance. Because that first taste leads to so many more.

I don't have a problem with wanting to eat what other people in the house are eating (kids/hubby). Usually they are eating much healthier things than I would be craving. We all have L&G for dinner, even when no one is on the diet but me, so that part is easy. And we don't have too many snack foods in the house when I'm dieting, mostly pretzels and they don't really appeal to me. It's sweets that call my name. My big problem is junk food and fast food/take out.

There's just no easy way. The plan is simple, but it can be scary to think about living life without certain foods. Although it's not the right way to look at it, sometimes I find it helpful to tell myself I can have whatever food I want after a certain amount of time or number of pounds lost. It can help you get through the first couple of weeks, and then by the time you get to the point that you planned to have a treat, you usually have the strength to resist because you are seeing good weight loss and feeling so much lighter and happier with your healthy choices.

I was successful on this plan once before, so I know it can be done even for someone who can't imagine life without cake and ice cream. I just let myself use pregnancy as an excuse to eat what I was 'craving' and blamed it on the baby. Motivation is key, having a goal that is attainable and really gets you going. Spend a little time thinking about why you want to lose the weight, and be sure to have something to look forward to that isn't all the way at your goal.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is (I am living proof) nothing will work if you're not willing to put in the effort. You sound willing, but understandably nervous. I can promise MediFast will not let you down, as long as you don't let yourself down. It is really exciting to watch yourself change during the process. I hope you start soon - I promise you won't regret it. And if someone like me, who has struggled for almost 8 months trying to get herself going, can endorse the plan so vehemently, you know it must be good, right? I have failed myself, but the plan is ready and waiting for me, and I know the weight loss will come when I care enough about myself to stick to it.

[oksoonergirl26]

Where are the journals? Can anyone start one?

[brandy820]

Thanks for the awesome post

I'm sitting here craving an apple because I'm thinking that I cannot have one for the next six months. I've never craved apples before, really

I'm a carb addict - cake, breads, cookies. And, yes, I believe that I am attached to food as strongly as you are. One bite and I get that ZING and I'm eating the whole cake. It's a high, I swear.

I'm petrified that I simply cannot keep away things like apples and grapes for that long. They are SO good and good for you! But do I want to lose 80 lbs? YES! I think I'm still feeling like I'm going to be overweight still AND not able to eat apples... that I'll never *really* lose the weight. I get myself to 235 and I stop. And give up. And then gain the 20 lbs back and find myself at 255 again. I've been yoyoing the same 20 lbs for the last four years!

I wish I wasn't sitting here scared of failing again, but ready. Ah, so self defeating!!

And LOL about the husband - mine lost 35lbs on WW in no time... and there I was, cheating too, just like you!

Tell me, after the first couple of weeks, do the cravings minimize?

[nickieluv]

oksoonergirl, yes, anyone can start a journal. Just start a new thread in the 'my journal' section with your username as the title. Nice to meet you!

Brandy, absolutely the cravings minimize. I can tell you that I never thought it would happen, but I actually was able to be in the house with cookies and bread and all those things and not even want them. The good feelings you get from being on program become addictive themselves, and you get so you don't want anything to get in the way of the weight loss and energy you feel. For me, it takes about 5 days for the worst of the hunger and cravings to pass. And then, if I can make it three or four weeks on plan, the cravings almost disappear.

It is so worth it - I understand being scared and missing fruits (and who are we kidding, we'll miss the cake too!) but the best advice I can give is to jump in with both feet. It's not forever, if you do it right, and when you start to maintain and have that first piece of fruit it just might taste good enough to make you never want refined sugar again! OK, so that might be a bit of a pipe dream, but I can attest to the fact that nothing tastes as good as you remember once you've been on plan for a while and re-trained your tastebuds.

My daughter has been getting all these new tastes as she moves along the spectrum of trying solids, and you would think that peas and carrots are as yummy as chocolate ice cream the way she lights up at meal times. I like to think that someday we can be that way, too - appreciating the taste of good, whole foods, and not wanting so much junk. And part of that appreciation might just come from having to give it all up for a while. Maybe that's part of the genius of MediFast - making fruits and veggies taste like a forbidden feast.

[brandy820]

LOL about the forbidden feast. I can see how that can give an appreciation.

I'm a big veggie fan already. I'm already plotting out my huge garden and can't wait to eat that first snap pea. Good thing is, I'll be able to do that at least (for dinner) and be on plan. I don't usually grow any fruits, but I do can jams, so that will be hard not to eat that blueberry!!

I'm thinking that if I start NOW, the temptations are minimal. Compared to fall/holiday seasons. Hopefully by then I'll either be at/near goal or have enough inner motivation to stay away.

I found someone locally who is selling their leftover food for a really good price and I think I might get it this weekend.

So, I'm thinking that the hardest realization is that I can't ever eat this way again. Ever. It's kind of sad (stupidly sad!!!).

Here's hoping I look back on that statement and laugh in a few months My husband is on board with me doing this, and he's going to go back on WW.

BTW, I checked out your pics and you look great! You can really see your loss. Are you on the plan 100% right now??

[nickieluv]

I'm not on the plan right now. I've been trying off and on since my daughter was born, but really haven't had any success because I just can't stick with it.

Sadly, I'm back to looking more like my 'before' pictures again. But I'm looking forward to being back at 'after' and beyond. This journey is so mental for me. I'm going into counseling when life slows down in April, because there just seems to be some kind of block keeping me from getting going, and counseling helped me get past that last time.

Oh - and don't feel bad about realizing you can never eat this way again. There is a mourning period that you have to go through for your old life. But the new life that is waiting can be even better. Remember, you're not saying goodbye to any particular food forever, unless you later decide to do that. You're just saying goodbye for now. What you ARE saying goodbye to is the habit of just picking up whatever you want to eat and not thinking about the consequences. From now on, serving sizes count, and calories count, and you can have any food you want but you need to balance it with healthy choices and exercise in order to maintain your new thin self. And we have to say goodbye to filling our souls with food (which doesn't work anyway) and burying our emotions in fat.

This is why losing weight is so hard. It's not just about eating less and exercising more. It's about changing emotional habits and attitudes. For most people, anyway. And probably those who don't are kidding themselves.

[brandy820]

Filling our souls with food and burying my emotions in fat.... boy, can I understand that. I've been sitting here all morning trying to think of SOMEthing out there that will give me a good feeling besides food. Darn if I can't come up with something.

I started counseling in December and it's taken three months now before I'm ready to commit to this, so I can understand where you are at. Right now, I'm working on *me*, so I might as well hit it all - emotional and physical.

Onward Ho! LOL. I think I'm going to run out this afternoon and pick up the meals. I may just start tomorrow.