The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Brandi NY]

I want to introduce myself to you all, as I have been reading about your Success and how Wonderful you are to each other. I want to start MF again, I tried over a year ago, and just couldn't do it. I feel I am ready to give it another shot, and try my best at it. Any advice, or Success story anyone cares to share with me will be GREATLY appreciated. I am 31 and live in NY. Feel free to ask any questions too. I never used to ask for help, but now I know I need it.....vulnerable and all...here I am....so PLEASE help me..........Thanks for your time sorry didn't mean to beg.....

[Unca_Tim]

Hi Brandy,
You're more than welcome to the forum.
We're all on this ship (or train to thinsville) together. We're here to give and receive support and ideas. You just happen to be on the receiving end right now. Medifast will do it for you if you stick with it. We're all here to help you along the way, and in no time you'll be on the giving end of the boat....
Keep us posted,

Unca

[hawaiiwhatnot]

Hi Brandy!

Ditto to what Unca said and happy to meet you. Welcome! What regime did you try the first time? Was it the complete fast with all shakes and/or other MF supplements, or did you do the 5 and 1?
Camille

[Simmshe]

Hi Brandi--welcome !

I see I finally have an "age sister" here, I'm also 31 years old . I'm only about 3 1/2 weeks into my plan, so I can't speak about long-term success, but here's my piece of advice. It's been said on here many times before that succeeding on this is 90% mental. And like Unca said,

Medifast will do it for you if you stick with it.

This takes of the physical loss--and it's pretty simple. But you have to take care of the mental and behavioral part.
Just be mindful, always, of what your motivation is for doing this and know that it's going to be very difficult in the beginning. And it doesn't necessarily get easier. It gets easier hunger-wise, but the mental challenge and psychological want to eat food is there often. If your resolve is strong and you are so stubborn that you will not give up on this, even if you have start and re-start five times until you get it--you will succeed.

Check out some posts in the Elevator section of the forum--you'll find plenty of motivation and inspiration there.

Wishing you the best and hope to see you around here losing!

Sheryl

[explorthis]

Hey Brandi!

Like Tim said, you are new and are on the receiving end. Sheryl used words like mental, behavorial, difficult beginnings, this is all true. With a little motivation, and much support that this group will give you, you CAN do it. We need your input and support also!

I am on the giving end, 333 days ago, I began the change of my life, and lost 114 pounds exactly the same way wou will lose your weight.

KEEP THE FAITH and it will work!

Welcome,

-Mike

[SusannaRosannaDanna]

Hi Brandi, I just turned 31, and am re-starting my MF program. I was anxiously awaiting my product order, but realized I had some unexpired shakes and soups leftover from my last attempt, so I went ahead and started Tuesday morning. No time like the present, right?
Anyway, I found that the program was effortless as long as I didn't let myself get caught out at shaketime without one, and of course, after I stuck it out for the dreaded First Three Days. I made a list of things that I wanted to do when food thoughts began creeping into my mind. It could be anything--clean out a closet, mop the floor, sweep the porch, read, etc.
Just whatever makes you stop obsessing over when and what you'll get to eat next, you know?
Personally, I find that after a while, my cravings for off-program foods are almost non-existant. I do have a certain week of the month, though, when I find my mind wandering to pasta, and that's when I use my "Want To" list to busy myself.
best of luck to you--I know everyone here is rooting for you!

Susanna

[Brandi NY]

I guess I am overwhelmed by the amount of weight I have to lose, and am scared of failure like sooooo many other diets I have tried.....I need to lose 150lbs....I feel like it can't be done....well, not that it can't be done, but that I can't do it..........I'm gonna give it another go, I am starting monday.......can we have diet soda, coffee, i really can't give up....is that okay? I'm trying to psyche myself up for this........I wanted to start today, but friends wil be here sunday that we don't see often, and we are having a picnic, so i guess monday will have to do. If anyone has as much weight to lose, or has lost......please check in so We can help each other........and if you have, Congrats!!! tell me your story.........I appreciate all of your kindness and support........Thank you


Hugs......Brandi

[Simmshe]

Hi Brandi,

I just wanted to let you know that I can relate to how you feel, as I have around 150lbs to lose, too. But the one thing I do not do is look at how far I have to go--this kind of thinking is usually a precursor to failure because it effectively takes us out of the game before we even get started.

I use to weigh around 390lbs a few years back, and when I undertook the big challenge to lose weight, I broke my goals down into smaller pieces. Instead of thinking, "I have over 225-235lbs to lose," I concentrated on getting to 300lbs, first, and then I created more goals. And I got down to just under 300lbs within eight months (of course, this was pre-Medifast, and I was a gym rat and prepared meals/counted calories then).

But Medifast is different from any other weight loss plan that you have been on. I even hate to call it a "diet," because it's not--it's a lifestyle change/weight management program. What's so great about this is how quickly you can lose weight, while getting adequate nutrition and sparing muscle loss, while also helping you to redefine your relationship with food/eating. Just think, in a month or so, your needing to lose 150lbs, could go to your needing to lose 125lbs ... and in two months, your goal of needing to lose 125lbs could go from this to 100lbs, and so on. I started out less than four weeks ago wanting to lose 173lbs, but to be honest with you, I didn't even do the calculation until I started writing this response to you--I didn't even know the actual number of pounds I needed to lose to get to 160lbs. But look now, in just 25 days that 173lbs loss, has dwindled to 146lbs left to lose. That's 27lbs in 25 days! I'm happier too, because 146lbs to lose is less daunting than 173lbs because it's closer to the 100lbs-loss mark than it is 200lb one. Before I know it, I will have only 100lbs left to lose, and this will be fantastic! Of course, everybody loses differently, but being that you have 150lbs to lose, you are more likely to have faster losses, similar to mines, or better!

And you said:

I feel like it can't be done ....well, not that it can't be done, but that I can't do it

Brandi, this is all on you--all you and your resolve, belief, and desire. If you think, in the back of your mind that you cannot do this, and you have lingering in the back of your mind thoughts of how you have failed on every other diet/weight loss plan that you have attempted--you will fail. Forget your other failures--they don't matter. Today is a new day and Medifast is a new plan--one that can see you to your goal quicker than any other plan out there (minus similar food supplement-based programs that are out there). And yep, you can have diet soda and coffee, but if you couldn't have these things, could you really not give them up? Or you just wouldn't want to give them up? You know that there are several things that you are going to have to give up while on Medifast--such as social outings to dinner, parties (perhaps, until you feel strong enough to participate without going off of your plan); all of the delicious foods that you enjoy eating; eating for comfort; and more. But what you gain cannot even compare to the sacrifice that you make right now. And all of those delicious foods will be there after Medifast (in moderation, of course ).

You can do this Brandi! I know exactly how you feel and I have thought the exact same thoughts that you have expressed, that's why I'm saying all of this to you. It will be hard, hard, hard--maybe even the hardest thing that you have ever done, but you can do it. But you have to want it.

Try to set small goals for yourself, such as getting under a milestone weight for you, such as getting under 300lbs--299lb goal, under 250lb--249lb goal, under 200lb--199lbs goal, etc.--whatever applies to you and your weight. And if you don't make it past the first three (dreadful!) days, start again--don't chalk it up to you being a failure. Many of us didn't make it beyond the first three days on our first attempts--it's hard, but it can be done!

I'm wishing you the best Brandi! Come here for support and use this forum as part of your plan--I know I do, even if I'm just reading back posts--it can be very helpful and motivating. We're behind you, we are all in the same boat. Now you get behind you! No more "try" and "can't." You "do" and "will" !

Sheryl

[Nancy]

Hey, there, Brandi ~

Here's to you!

We know that Medifast works. The first few weeks are critical so we hope that you get off to a fine start. Be sure to have your shakes on time, drink lots of water and take it easy those first few weeks. Check back and read previous posts and the Newsletters, too. You will soon be a big loser, too!

You've made a great choice to join us in Medifasting to a healthy new you!

[susan]

hi.brandy,
welcome to the forum.
susan

[LongWay2go]

Hi Brandi,

Welcome! I too have a great deal to lose. Tomorrow will be the end of week 2 for me. My long term goal is to lose 250 pounds (maybe more!) so I know how you feel about being overwhelmed with the amount of weight you have to go, and the committment it will take to get you there!

Try not to think of it as 150 pounds to go. Work in small steps. Set your first goal at 25 pounds, or even 10! When you reach that first goal you will feel WONDERFUL and that will motivate you to reach your next goal. The first 2 weeks are VERY difficult when you are severly overweight. Honestly, I think it's not as difficult for people with 50 pounds or less to lose. Definitely the first 3 days are the most difficult and you may think you'll just die if you don't eat SOMETHING!

But you won't die. You'll get through them and every day after that gets easier and easier. I'm doing the full fast and I can honestly say that already I find that I don't even think about food and nothing is tempting me, but you have to understand that I have resolve stronger than the Berlin Wall at this point. Unless you have been through the things I have been through, it is much harder to keep your resolve.

Stay with us. Read the forum as many times a day as you can. Plan ahead. If you know you will be away from your shakes at mealtime, be sure to take some RTD's with you so you won't have an excuse to eat, or worse, get hungry and eat "real" food! You need to drink your shakes on a regular schedule every day so you don't get hungry, and so your body is properly nourished. Following a regular schedule will help you later on too, when you start to introduce food back into your diet.

We're all here for you. Post, PM or email, I'm here mostly all day every day. We'll do it together, because we can!

Best of luck!

- Gerald

[Lois]

Hi Brandi....WELCOME

You have come to the right place for support and encouragement.

We are a FAMILY here, which means that even though the committment to stick with the program belongs to YOU, you are NOT ALONE

We are here for one another, and now YOU are now a part of US!!!!!!!

One of the reasons I started coming to this BB is because I had 90 pounds to lose....it seemed impossible to me, and I needed to be with peiople who understood what it means to lose large amounts of weight. I am now "down" 40 pounds, and hope to be at my goal by Christmas.

YOU CAN DO THIS! And we are all here to give you the support you need. Welcome aboard

hugs,

Lois

[TamiL]

Hi Brandy
Welcome to the forum..this place is a save haven for me..a place to come to when I feel the need for support...a smile, and to know that others are doing what I am...Medifast!!
I am 33 years old....single....(well divoced, but Id like to forget about it!) and this is my second attempt at medifast..I started back in Feb..and went strong till about mid april..then started slipping!! I lost about 25-30 pounds or so...then started getting too daring...and swayed from the program.
But I am BACK...and back here on the forum...to DO THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!! its amazing..Im on day 5 only, and I feel thinner already!! I dont weigh myself much, Im one of those people who get paralyzed by numbers..I go by how my clothes fit and feel!! today on Day 5..I feel so great, I have more energy already...but most important to me..I HAVE A CLEAR HEAD AND CONCIOUS...I didnt wake up feeling guilty or mad at myself....I didnt wake up with that awful sugar hang over....and it does wonders for me to feel CLEAN and FAITHFUL!!
so welcome aboard to you....
YOU CAN DO THIS..one pound at a time, as mentioned before in an earlier post above..dont get overwhelmed, just take it one pound at a time...set small goals for yourself...and you will see the pounds dropping off of you before you know it!!
stick with it.... we are all here for you!
Tami