The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Unca_Tim]

Just wondering what the most difficult part of the Medifast plan is for you personally?

Unca

[Jeanette]

Good question, Tim.

For me, it is having enough patience to get to the end of the program. I know I didn't gain 160 pounds overnight, so it won't come off overnight either. I fear that I may get frustrated or bored if I am not progressing like I think I should. It is important for me to keep the faith in the program--if I stick with it, it will work. It HAS worked!!

As far as use of the products, I love the convenience of it. It really fits my lifestyle. I used to spend so much on fast food, it was unreal. One thing that can be tricky is spacing my supplements apart appropriately. Advanced planning helps alot.

Thanks for asking!

[RavenKat]

I'm reading old posts to get my butt in gear. I thought this was a good question.

Being the crazy Gemini I am, the "most difficult part" for me changes weekly. Currently, my problem is complacency. I look and feel much better than I have in a long time BUT have lost the desperation I had at the beginning. The hard part is staying motivated.

My motto today is "Just keep going!"

Kat

[justme]

This hardest part for me is not going to lunch with my co-workers...it was really nice to get away and have good conversation and food...but I do have to admit I am saving TONS of money so there is always an upside to everything.

Carli

[Sylvia]

I'm at the stage where boredom is the hardest part. Just want to eat something different. Seems like I've been doing this a LONG time and still have even longer to go...

[explorthis]

Complacency
Look - feel better
Desperation
Staying motivated

Kat said my feelings almost to a tee… Don’t get me wrong, next to virtually nothing; Medifast is the most wonderful tool I have ever found. I should tattoo on my arm: Nothing tastes better than thin feels, because it is 110% true!

Complacency, boredom are things that will plague you long after you lose the weight. I love being thin(ner) than I have ever been (with exception to a few pounds up and a few pounds down) but dieting, and maintenance is a PITA!

I struggle with myself EVERYDAY to maintain my weight. I am sure you will also. The brain is a interesting tool. I am not sure why it consistently tries to sabotage the wonderful progress it has received. Common brain, look what you allowed. This prior fat 42 year old body lost over 100# and makes you (the brain) look and feel good – GOOD! Why do you consistently want that body to go back to its old ways?

I will never go back, but I struggle like every one of you with complacency, and boredom.

Interesting….. Easy but not as easy as I thought.

Landy says – “Failure is NOT an option” – I agree!

What is the most difficult part? Fighting with my brain.

-Mike

[auntjanot]

All of the above, plus learning how to socialize without food, how to entertain without food, and how to have fun without food. Movies, ballgames, picnics, etc. have been a new experience without food and not always a good one. If I could turn off my sense of smell, it might be easier.

[Lois]

Hmmmm...I think it's "handling" food for my family.

Even though my wonderful husband and kids pitch in with thre food prep and cleanup, with a large family (we have 5 kids) there ALWAYS seems to be a meal to fix or clean up.

There are days when I KNOW I can't handle the food, and announce, "You guys are on your own tonight!" or "The kitchen is CLOSED!" or "Eat lunch NOW 'cause once I've cleaned up I'm DONE in here!"....you get the picture

I still sit at the table with my family for most meals, with my MF shake or soup in hand...and it really helps that they are SO supportive and encouraging...

XO,

Lois

[hawaiiwhatnot]

I'd have to say it's the frequency of the meals. This may sound confusing. It's weird because some days (although infrequently), the 3 hours between the meals passes so quickly, that on a couple of days I've actually missed a meal and wound up having only 4 shakes. This doesn't happen often though.

MOST of the time, it's the opposite wherein it seems it takes forever for 3 hours to pass so I can have another shake! I'm really not THAT hungry though. Then I start to worry about whether I'm obsessing over food intake and thinking too much about what I'm going to have at the next meal. I worry because I'm trying to get away from thinking all the time about what I'm going to put in my mouth next and at what time. Maybe this is just an old bad habit.

One thing I've realized on this diet is that the frequency of meals is important to maintain a healthy metabolism. Mine was at a screeching halt practically, and now it's running along at a good clip. After I reach my goal, I know now that I'll have to eat a little bit say every 3 hours or so to keep it going. No more starvation, and no more eating just one big meal a day. Maybe I'll finally learn how to eat properly!

Camille

[NikkiNix]

THE HARDEST THING FOR ME IS WHEN THAT TIME OF THE MONTH COMES USUALLY A WEEK BEFORE CHOCOLATE AND POTATO CHIPS ARE MY WORST NIGHTMARES. PLUS I AM IN A LOT OF PAIN (MAJOR CRAMPING) AND THEN I GET TO THINKING A COUPLE GLASSES OF WINE WONT HURT AND THEN I GET THE HUNGRIES AND IT MESSES WITH ME EVERY TIME. FOR SOME REASON WHEN I DO GET OFF MY 3 DAY BINGES AND GET BACK TO THE PROGRAM I DO GREAT UNTILL THE 10TH DAY FOR SOME PEOPLE IT'S GETTING OVER THAT 3 DAY HUMP AND FOR ME IT'S THE 10TH DAY.

[Carrie]

The hardest part for me varies daily. I guess most of it could be wrapped into complacency/ambivalence. I started out with such determination and mental energy - and now I seem to be stuck feeling wishy-washy. I'm smaller now than I have been in years, and everybody's telling me how great I look, and somehow that has stalled me. I really enjoy being able to fit into size 18 pants (and getting the compliments) - and I really thought that making it to this level of weight loss would just totally fire me up to keep going and lose even more. But instead I seem to be in this wierd 'don't really care right now' state of mind.

That is not to say that in my heart of hearts I am not determined to see this through to my goal weight. I will whether it takes me 6 months or 6 years. But I have discovered that for me this is a process - it is not a one time decision - black and white - cut and dried - affair.

For me this is a learning process - I have to continually make the effort to change the way I live my life. I am amazed at how many things in life make me want to eat - boredom, stress, physical exhaustion, happiness, sadness, loneliness, etc etc. And on a daily basis I have to strive to deal with those things without food. Sometimes that makes me a little crazy and other days I deal with it just fine. One of the most critical things I have done is change my relationship with myself. I absolutely refuse to beat myself up about food and being fat anymore. No more abusive, negative self-talk. I know I'm at a 'mental' plateau - but instead of flogging myself I say 'It's ok, just keep trying and you'll get through it'. I am of the opinion that while these periods can be frustrating, relatively they are minimal in proportion to what I have accomplished today and what I will accomplish tomorrow - i.e. I try to shrug off the bad stuff and keep my thoughts with the good stuff. That in and of itself is a huge positive difference in my life.

This is a huge goal to accomplish and there are going to be easy times and rough times, the important thing is to not give up.

It's funny, but when I started this diet, the only thing I really thought about was how fast I could lose the weight. Now I realize that I'm in this for the long haul - whether I can manage to do it quickly, or not - I am still going to have to change my relationship with food. (Not that I don't wish I could lose 90 pounds overnight, LOL) It's just that so many things have become so much more important than 'how fast can I get it off' - things like building up my self-esteem, taking care of my body, dealing with my emotions without eating, not being negative.

Like I said, this is a process, and one that is in a constant state of flux - I will be up some days and down others - the only thing I have to do is keep trying.

Carrie

P.S. I guess a good example of what I'm talking about is my vacation last weekend .... I went to MI and planned ahead of time to eat some of the things I can't get here (Floridas produce sucks) - and I did. But instead of my usual old vacations of bingeing on sugar and fried foods, I ate things like corn on the cob, asparagus, and some sugarfree homemade strawberry pie. I still had 3-4 MF shakes a day. I did gain about 2 pounds, but I'll lose it and keep losing. Some may view that as a failure because I wasn't 100% on the Medifast program, but in terms of changing my behavior into something that will allow me to attain and maintain a healthy weight - it's a HUGE success.

Figuring this out, and making change is a very personal thing, and we all have to find and do what works for each of us.

[Marseilles]

Carrie, I agree..Florida produce sucks. And it makes NO sense whatsoever; all things considered.

I also agree with your attitude and opinion regarding medifast. It IS a constant decision. It WILL require the decision be made at various stages throughout your weightloss phase and like you I have also found that my key focus is no longer 'How fast' but has changed to 'How to'.

Part of the learning process, I suppose. Better to take it off at the pace best suited to YOU as an individual than to not take it off at all.

-M.

[elle4nelly]

The hardest thing about medifast for me???????????

1) missing fruits like crazy
2) missing starch like crazy
3) beyond 2 months it becomes a total bore and it gets hard to hang on( that is for me)
4) And with Boredom comes lack of motivation
5) Missing long Gym session like crazy

That sums it up for me. BUT a very big BUT......

I really like the fast results when you truly stick to it. I just wish i'd never taken that first fall....so now it's 3-4 good days..2 bad days. i'm working on a 100% compliance so that I can rid myself of this weight. And I know Medifast can help me get there. So all and all it's a great Diet!

Nelly

[elle4nelly]

Oh and RavenKat said it all.
Complacency, the very loss of desparation that fuels your initial fire ..runs out and then you're left with ..." oh it's you again!!" everytime you look at a shake!!

I need the Anger and Desperation back.......
How soon we forget!

Nelly

[bear45]

I just want to thank Unca for posting that question and to all of you for your honest answers...I needed to read each word of wisdom you each had to say...thank you for the honest answers...keeps me focused...have a great weekend...Lisa in Dallas

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