The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Simmshe]

Hello all,

I posted a couple days ago and haven't been gotten advice/insight about this issue: I would like to know how often those of you who are on the full fast (or have been in the past) go to see your doctors.

It was suggested that I call the health advisor's line, but my hours are incompatible for calling until the weekend, so I was hoping to get some guidance from the board.

So, if anyone can give me an idea of what entails "monitoring" by a doctor while on a full fast, I'd greatly appreciate it. Background: I had a physical in March, everything is fine. I prefer to follow the full fast but am a freelance worker who is underinsured--meaning I can't afford weekly visits to my doctor. But if being supervised/monitored by a doctor means monthly or bi-monthly visits, I think I can swing this.

I got my products yesterday--which was super fast! It only took a day to receive my shipment. So, this is why my question is urgent--I want to get started on Friday (preferably, but I could do Saturday, too. I just want to do my first days heading into a weekend so I can deal with the hunger and other first-3-day issues at home), on the full fast--so if I could get some insight by then that would be great :-).

Thanks guys .

Sheryl

[explorthis]

Sheryl, some of us posted about this before, but I will revisit my dealings a little.

I began Medifast 9/8/03 at 337 pounds. I am a 6’3” 42 (41 at the time) and needed to lose about 100+ pounds. I have been on as many diets as there were days of the week to no avail. I had done Optifast when I was 22, and successfully lost about 70.

Hot/Fit/Trim/Clothes/Girls whoopee weight was gone. Or was it? Gained it all back, and another 30-40 to boot in just as much time as it took me to lose it.

Well 20 years later, and a pinch smarter, I began the trek to Medifast. I (again this was my way of dealing with it) know my body. I know what ailed me, and what did not. Since I had been on Optifast, the, basically exact same thing as Medifast and was strictly supervised by doctors, I knew what to expect. I chose the full fast, un-supervised.

It was not till about 2-1/2 months that I finally opted to see the Doctor. I had no side effects until I experienced Orthostatic Hypotension (another long subject) and decided to go get a physical. First female Doctor, not my regular physician, beat me to a pulp, told me this program was most unhealthy, and that the body was not designed to lose this fast. Wanted me to cease and desist immediately (uh, at this point I had lost in excess of 60# - and was not about to quit) Her problem, though ALL of my blood work came back exceptionally good, was unfounded, as she was totally uneducated. She has no baseline reason for wanting me to quit, other than it “was not healthy” What exactly did this mean? It meant she knew not about this program, and probably the fact that Kaiser was not being compensated as the Medifast programmer, as they only support Optifast.

Ahywho, once my appt. was complete, against her will I continued. I went in again about the time I had finished the loss (about 4 months after I started the FULL FAST) to my regular physician. He knew about Medifast, and was so impressed, he wrote down the phone# from this site, and was fully intending on calling. I don’t know if he ever did, but again, my blood work came back astonishingly perfect. He was amazed, and fully supportive.

So, my story of the full fast is just that. It was my choice to do what I did, no one else’s. I have no qualms about telling you to do it however you want. Medically supervised or not, it is your choice.

Just remember, there are no magic ingredients in Medifast, only 100% proper nutritional ones. Did we ever consult a physician when we decided to become overweight and unhealthy?

I made this choice, and it was the greatest choice I ever made. Today marks 242 days ago I began my Medi-journey to the new me. I have successfully maintained my 113 pound loss, actually with not a lot of effort. I gain 1-2 pounds here, or there, but with QUALITY - PROPER eating (for the first time in my life) I am maintaining my loss, and these 1-2 pounds fall right back off. (must be during my cycle!!)

Long story short!

Medifast full faster I was, and turned out pretty good, EUPHORIC if I do say so myself!

-Mike

[Simmshe]

Hi Mike :-),

Thanks for sharing your story with me! I was feeling a bit dismayed about feeling like I had to follow the modified plan unless I "lived" in a doctor's office. But I want to do the full plan, and I'm definitely going to do it now. I'll check in with my doctor in couple of months for blood work and call it a day. And actually, I was reading the Medifast literature this morning that I received, and under the "How to Start" section, they recommend that the first step is to see a doctor and get lab tests--CBC, Lipid profile, etc. (I've already done this step--everything's normal). After this, it says to follow up every one to three months and get blood work checked again (only CBC and Chemistry profile this time). So, I will follow this advice (I just couldn't find this guidance before to save my life!).

I see that people, like yourself, follow this plan and do not live in a doctor's office, and you are fine. I will go with my gut on this one--I'll follow the full plan and have a check-up in a few months. I'm ready to get this show on the road!

By the way, how long was your transition from full Medifasting to eating regular food? Also, how high are your maintenance calories? I know that eating so few calories lowers our metabolisms, so I'm wondering if you are still slowly working your calories up to a normal level for your height/weight. I don't mean to jump the gun, I'm just curious about this process and life after full Medifasting. But I'm in no super rush--I'm just going to follow the plan and let my body do the rest .


Thanks again Mike .

Sheryl

[Nancy]

Hi, Sheryl ~

Didn't mean to ignore your inquiry or make you feel like I wasn't alive and here for you. I totally understand your desire to get started and it is nice to do so over the weekend. My husband and I went to the beach for several days. It was a Mother’s Day surprise…

I must just say "ditto" to Mike's response. You recently saw your physician, had the necessary labs done and it is up to you to make return appointments for monitoring as you are able to do so.

It does take a while to read through previous postings but often one can find the answers to questions when you do a word search. Sheryl, you may always send a private email to me - I will get back to you ASAP. Nancy@makemethinner.com

My experience was with an uninformed physician - uninformed about Medifast, that is. She was willing, however to monitor me on my terms - did the blood pressure and blood labs as I requested.

We must request that people on the full fast see their physician. We have no way of knowing that a person will follow the plan as prescribed and we absolutely want all of our clients to be healthy, happy and successful. Your health is important to us, Kiddo!

[Marseilles]

Hi Sheryl..

I too, saw the Dr. prior to starting MF and will certainly see him again for follow up blood work..but to add to what has already been posted, I sure havent felt the need to.

As I follow the program I feel GREAT.

I have had one slip-up where I cheated (cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater) and felt HORRID, but now that I am back on program and back in ketosis I am feeling mahvelous, dahling!!

I see you started over the weekend, I hope it went smoothly for you and that you are dfoing really well. Once you get through the initial three days and your body is in that mild state of ketosis, your energy will skyrocket and you will stop having the growlies.

Water, water, water..the nectar of the gods..you will thank yourself for drinking a TON of it.

Best wishes to you on your journey and welcome aboard..the forum here is wunderbar and the people are really spectacular

Cheers!
-M.

[LadyChamp]

My doctor is a proponent of the program and has suggested it to me several times. Yes, I fought tooth and nail and said there was no way I could live on "just" liquid. However, I am on the "full" program now. (20 days and counting)

LadyChamp
338/316/138-125?

Champ
288/257/210-220?

[Nancy]

Simmshe ~

Regarding medical monitoring - it totally depends upon your current health issues and medications, as well. Because your weight is reduced rapidly, your medications most likely will need to be altered. Since you stated that you were a fine specimen you may need to go in just every three months. Often times you can just call your physician's nurse and request a blood draw, thus avoiding the full office call fee and the disrobing!

Transition took me approx. 6 weeks as I took it rather slowly. Regarding the number of calories for maintenance, that is a hard one to answer, Sheryl because we are not all equal in terms of our metabolism, our muscle:fat composition and our activity levels. I found that I was able to easily maintain my weight on about 1800-2000 calories, that is, until Jan., Feb., and March of this year.

I was very sedentary because it is winter. Our treadmill is inaccessible because it has boxes of books and photos stacked on it... Guess you know what one of my projects is: organize and clean out the garage…

I just started piling up some calories on my buns and hips. I was not gardening, not walking at school like I am wont to do around the campus (winter related again), not eating regularly every three hours and not sucking down the water like usual (it boils down tot he fact that I was not putting me first) and I put on a few pounds.

Please know that I absolutely had maintained my weight for one year and then with several trips (dining out, sitting on a plane, riding in cars), lack of exercise, eating a few calories per day over my allotment for several days and weeks in a row, my leather pants were too tight!


I broke two of my rules: NEVER EVER allow more than five pounds over my goal to accumulate without dealing with it AT ONCE and NEVER EVER over eat two days in a row!

Each person is different. Mike can eat more than I because he is bigger than I am. He is Six Foot Three, Hunky and Young. I am five feet six (when I am standing up straight and tall and my fur is gelled up tall), Hot and Experienced (fifty-five). Older folks cannot eat as much as younger folks. I HATE it!

Maintenance: this is life long issue. Anyone can lose weight. We all have. Can we keep it off? That’s the trick!