The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[IDareYou]

I've registered here in the forum because I'm ready to give support and be supported. I only plan to be on Medifast for a couple of months to lose some of the weight I put on during pregnancy. Now that I've breastfeed my vivacious daughter through the first 2 1/2 years of her life, she has weaned herself and now I'm ready to really take care of myself. I've lost 30 of the 60 lbs. I gained in pregnancy but I'm ready to lose another 15-20 and be the healthy, energetic me that I recall. This is going to be my first and last weight-loss program -- I wasn't willing to put myself through a failure-bound "diet," so I am going to lose this weight with Medifast and keep it off my changing my unhealthy diet and getting more exercise eventually.

My obese parents have been on Medifast for over a year with mixed success. I want to get them back on track too.

Question: I'm going through the posts but having a hard time figuring out what different members weight-loss goals are, is that info readily available or should I just keep reading posts intensively?

[Jeanette]

Dear Young Mom:

First of all, welcome! We are an eclectic group of folk witht he same goal in mind--to get healthy once and for all!!

This program works! You should be able to shed 30 pounds rather quickly while you learn (or re-learn) how to eat better.

RE: weight loss goals: Some of us are a little shy about revealing exactly how much we have to lose. Not me, obviously--check out my signature. For me, they are just numbers. If people feel the need to judge me by my stats, who needs them? For me, being totally forthright about my weight is going to be the key to help me discard it.

I chose 180 pounds as my goal about a month ago when I started the program, mainly because 180 sounded more attainable to me that 155 (the number the health charts say I should weight). When I reach 180 I may reconsider and change it to 155.

RE: your parents "mixed success": Please elaborate. Is there a way that we can help them?

I hope I answered your question.

[IDareYou]

Jeanette and others,

Congrats to already being on your way to your goal! Thanks for the welcome. I'm pretty positive about starting Medifast and ready for that first shipment.
As for my parents yo-yo-ing on Medifast, I'm 800 miles away from them so can I only guess why they are having such a hard time not eating excessively for their lean-green meal, and even sticking to their shakes routine (modifidied plan).
I am sure this will elicit a strong response, but I am cynical of the lack of emphasis on exercise and lifestyle change by their Medifast-providing physician. My relatively more self-disciplined mom reached her goal weight, looked and felt great but was not educated or supported to exercise and learn about healthy eating habits for maintanance. Do I dare say that her doctor would like to keep her around as a regular patient?

But that's my beef with the doctor, not Medifast per se.

I feel really bad for my parents, it was hard to see the joy they experienced shedding the pounds turn to disappointment as they gained again. I'm afraid for my dad's health especially with the cocktail of BP and other drugs he his dependent on due to his lack of fitness. How does medifast help change behaviors? How do WE help medifast clients change behaviors?

I would genuinely like to see other's thoughts on exercise and Medifast (I know it's not a good idea when your metabolism is changing in the beginning weeks), but I fear that it's benefits of stress-reduction, flexibility, cardiovascular and general fitness are being forgotten by those who have discarded it as a futile means of weight loss.

Hello again to everyone else, and please don't be put off buy my questioning. I've chosen Medifast because I have faith in it's potential to help me, I'm really not trying to rain on anyone's parade.

Thanks all,
I Dare You

[Jeanette]

From everything I have read about the program, Medifast and exercise together have many benefits--shedding weight faster, getting stronger, gaining even more energy. The fact that your parents' doctor isn't giving any help on this part makes me wonder. It is possible that the doctor may not have your parents' best interest at heart, but his/her own ($$$).

Perhaps your folks could benefit from the support of a forum like this! why not ask them to come read??

[Maggie]

Welcome to the forum. You ask some very important questions. Normally one of the advisors would answer your questions. However , Nancy is away due to illness in her family, but she has answered your questions. The December newsletter was just posted and could have been written just for you. If you are not familiar with the newsletter, go back to the Home page and look for the menu on the left side of the screen. Down below that you will see "newsletter archives." Click on that and you will be taken to the newsletter list. The December newsletter deals with exercise and keeping the weight off. It is very informative, as are all of the past newsletters. I think you would enjoy reading all of them. I also took Medifast about 15 years ago. I lost about 60 lbs. It was fast and easy but there was no follow-up, no exercise, no weigh-ins. Just the usual "I'll see you in six months". All I gained from my experience, besides all the weight back and more, was a gallstone. I am happy to say that said gallstone is no longer with me. Maggie

[IDareYou]

Maggie,
Thanks for your response. I will check out the Dec. newsletter. I'm quite curious now-- my father had to have gallstones removed after a few months of Medifast. So what's the connection?

IDareYou

[Nancy]

Hello, Mary, AKA the Young Mom who Dares us ~

Welcome to the MakeMeThinner Forum! You raise some great questions regarding exercise and I really appreciate Jeanette’s advice to direct you to my December Newsletter. This Forum is a wonderful network for support.

Exercise is truly a vital piece of weight maintenance. When we are on a very low calorie consumption plan, our metabolism drops to conserve all available energy. Our body learns to get by on fewer calories and uses its stored fat for its energy source. Ahh, the beauty of the mild state of ketosis! Thus, once we have lost the unwanted weight and return to eating higher caloric levels, we must increase our metabolism by exercising.

You’re right, I Dare You, the benefits of exercise are tremendous! It is superb about helping us to naturally dump stress. It helps to rebuild our metabolism and improves our heart health and enhances our sense of well-being.

I am really sorry about your parents return to obesity. The beauty of having a personal Health advisor is that there is a relationship beyond what a doctor is able to provide. Doctors want to help us, they are limited by the constraints of managed care and the teensy amount of time allotted per patient. Thus they are unable to answer all of our questions and as you hinted, some really do see us as less financially desirable if we are using fewer pharmaceuticals or fewer amounts of their products.

Some doctors really don’t understand the whole concept of good nutrition plus exercise. Many times they just tell us to exercise more and to eat less. Been there? Hopefully your parents will get the help they need to reach a healthy weight and to reclaim their health, too. Behavioral modification is important. If we keep on doing what we have done in the past then we will zoink right back up the scale to our formerly flabby old self. We need permanent lifestyle changes in order to be successful for life.

I am really glad that you stated that you are a member so that you can get support and also can provide support to others as well. That’s exactly the whole idea here – we can help one another! It is rewarding to know that you have personally helped someone in such a dramatic way! Good health to you!