youngestof9

We may be on maintenance about the same time (given my slow rate of weight loss - hoping this detox causes things to go a little faster).

 

I have heard that if you don't follow through with maintenance, you will gain the weight right back. The price you pay for the center includes weekly followups for a year from hitting your goal weight.

I think that's my biggest fear. I am using MF as a tool to get the weight off just as I would use any other program. But a huge part of the program is not just the losses, but the learning how to eat properly and how to work carbs (fruits/grains/etc.) back into your daily diet. However, I can't say I won't also keep some MF on hand - I like eating 6 small meals a day and that's so perfect for my blood sugar. So things like their bars and pretzels and shakes are perfect for me. But I don't want to jump ahead. I want to focus on getting to goal and taking it from there.

Welcome to Luetta! :)

It is a good program, a little harder for us ladies, I think, to lose as much weight as men and as quick a weight loss as they seem to have. But, at my center, they tell me we women lose a lot more inches than the men! That has been the case with me. They measure me once a month in many different spots and I have lost a lot of inches! The whole point of this was to fit back in to my closet of clothes and that is happening - happy to say!

 

I have been on this program since mid-April and have lost 22 lbs. I have stalled for 3-4 weeks. This week, they have me doing another cleanse or detox. I have already dropped about 5 lbs and the week is not over! They believe you should do a cleanse or detox every 3 months. It does jump-start the weight loss when you have a plateau. After I weigh in this week - I should have 10 more lbs to reach goal.

 

I will be very happy to start maintenance. Mary Beth, how many more lbs do you have to lose? Are you getting close to goal?

I'm still 18.5 pounds from the goal I first set when I started MF. When I get closer I'll see if it's realistic or if I'd like to lose 5 more after. I want it to be manageable. I am so much more comfortable now, but don't want to get complacent and stray. I want to stick with it through goal so I can really work it in maintenance. I think that following through to maintenance is the key to this program. Good luck!

Hi Luetta! Good luck! The first week is a week of change - more water (and peeing!), less calories and sometimes less energy. But starting after week 2 you'll feel great and be amazed!

I just took measurements on week 12. I compared them to my week 8 measurements and I had lost 8 total inches in 4 weeks (I measure 5 places - thigh, waist, hips, chest and upper arm). I'm currently wearing a size 12 and in May I was in a tight 16.

Stick to it - especially in the beginning. Learn the tweaks as you go, but if you follow it as directed, you WILL be a success story! I've lost a 41.5 pounds in a bit over 12 weeks.

I'll say it again, but I think it's a great tool to help you lose weight, but also to learn how to eat - smaller meals, knowing the amounts of carbs/protein/fat/calories, etc. I'm looking forward to maintenance and really putting all I've learned to the test.

You'll do GREAT! Keep posting here - Hap and I are on pretty regularly so it's great support. And Hap has great ideas for mixing flavors. :)

Also, I subscribe to the thread, so anytime someone posts to it, I get an email - it doesn't fill your inbox but it's nice to know when someone posts :)

Mary Beth

Hehe.... your "iron" comment just reminded me of Cher and Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck.... "Heeeeh... eat this steak!!! It's good for ya blood!!!!!"

 

H

LOL!

How is everyone doing??? I'm down 2.5 this week - total 39.5 in 12 weeks - Sooooo close to the 40 pounds!!

Having a chicken burger and salad for dinner - found them at Costco. They're delicious and you can have 2 for a lean. They are high in sodium, so I wouldn't do them a lot, but I tend to eat the things I like but that are higher in sodium the day I weigh in, so I have some time to flush out the sodium before next weigh in.

http://www.atkfoods.com/our-brands/burgers-by-amylu

Karen - are you out there?? I hope you're back on track :)

LOL Hap - beef gets me excited too - I usually try to have it once a week for the iron. And it's allowed so I feel no remorse! LOL

Hey Hap - I was confused (not surprisingly LOL!!)

Here's an answer I found about more intense exercise - interesting to note that she said you should continue the plan even on days you don't work out for consistency.

Thanks for your post. My name is Meridith, a Registered Dietitian for Nutrition Support. Exercise is an excellent habit to form, that will help you maintain a healthy weight and promote a healthy body throughout your life. Definitely keep up your exercise!

With that being said, on the 5&1, we do recommend limiting your exercise to 45mintues/day. This is due to the low caloric intake (800-1000 calories/day) and our desire to see you succeed. Excercising more than 45 minutes a day, with a caloric intake of 800-1000, it is likely that your body will go into a "starvation mode." In which, your body will hold onto nutrients instead of burning them for energy-so in some cases, weight GAIN will occur.

If you are more comfortable on the 5&1, then I would suggest decreasing your activity to 45 minutes a day. However, if you have already built up a routine such as you described, then I would encourage you to do a 4&2. The 4&2 is still a fat burning plan (meaning your carbohydrates are still limited to 80-100g/day) however it provides sufficient calories to allow you to exercise more than 45 minutes/day.

Regardless of whether you choose to do the 5&1 (with 45 mins of exercise) or the 4&2 (more than 45 minutes of exercise), we suggest you follow the same plan consistently-not just on the days you work out. So if you workout 5 days a week for 1 hour, you should be on the 4&2 everyday (7 days/week, etc).

A 6&1 is not a Medifast plan or recommendation. Adding a 6th meal can take you out of fat burning as it will contribute to you total carbohydrates.

I hope you find this helpful.

Have a lovely day,

Meridith, RD, LDN

Nah, I meant just peanuts and salt.. Trader Joe's brand..... And was wondering by your "but not fat burning" comment if the calorie intake is increased.... not understanding what you're saying... I thought one was in the "fat-burning" state as long as the carbs are kept at a minimum -- enough that the fat stores were being burnt due to the lack of carbs coming in.

 

????

 

Hap

Yeah, from what I read on nutrition support if you do the 4+2 it's not based on the fat-burning state. I don't remember why - might because the calorie intake is over 1000 (even though you're burning off). Not sure!!

I definitely think more protein when you workout is a smart idea. I don't like not weighing and measuring your foods because for me, that starts a slippery slope. You can do 4+2 so you get 2 meals of L&G and 4 MF meals. Still good for you and although a little more caloires so not fat burning, you still lose.

Check your organic PB for sugar - even "natural" and "organic' contain sugar - I know Kirkland brand natural PB has no sugar - just peanuts and salt.

If it's working Hap, that's awesome. I can't switch it up too much - opens up those windows I don't want to open quite yet :)

Karen - get back on the horse now. Not tonight, tomorrow, next week. NOW. Because you're right - you blew it and don't want any more time to go by.

I think we all realize how hard it is - if we didn't, we wouldn't be overweight in the first place! But don't let all your hard work go.

You said you HAVE to go out to eat - don't be afraid to ask for a grilled chicken breast or grilled pork chops or plain steak. If they serve any of these items covered in sauces or creams, they WILL cook them plain for you.

Only you can make the decisions but don't let your work thusfar be ruined. GOOD LUCK KAREN!!!!

Hap DON'T SKIP. Think of it this way - those 5 meals are properly balanced. You're not eating 20% of what they want you to eat from the MF meals. That's a lot of calories/fat/carbs that you actually need for your body to function. Skipping every once in awhile is one thing, but don't make a habit of it. You won't have enough calories (or carbs!) so your body would rebel!

Hap - that's awesome!!! Congratulations! I'm down 4 pounds this morning!! WOOOOHOOO. So a total of 37 pounds. 23 to go.

Glad you liked it! I don't like cauliflower :(

Weigh in in the morning. Looks like a 3 pound loss, but I'm waiting til the a.m. :)

everyone have a good weekend?

I received my PB2 - it's delicious. I used 1 TBSP on the brownie and counted it as a condiment. I'm using 1 tbsp in the PB soft serve this afternoon :)

Won't be able to hit the gym at all this week - doctor's and friend visit so I am anxious to see if that has any effect on my loss this week. It was definitely less last week and I exercised every day.

Have a great week!

I didn't buy a blender. I instead bought an ice crusher. I use my little shaker cup for my shakes, but I use the ice chopper first. I bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Deni-6100-Automatic-70-Watt-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000I6NOAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343402786&sr=8-1&keywords=deni+ice+crusher

I lost 2 pounds this morning - yesterday I had been down 2.5, but I have to go by Friday's weight for my "official" tally. Little bummed, but I did ramp up exercise - went to the gym every day since last Thursday (except yesterday) and then back this morning. So I guess that's to be expected. I was hoping for 3 pounds truthfully. But I'll take it! Am hoping to be down 7 pounds by vacation which is 8/18. Fingers crossed!

so do you mix the 2 and then have 2 meals together or split them? Sounds yummy

I am having a brownie tonight and using a little PB2 for the first time. Haven't tried it yet.

weigh in in the morning!!

awesome Hap! My weigh in is Friday, so I'm hoping for the same tomorrow - hoping for 2.5! :)

Can one just walk in off the street and buy "a la carte" boxes of Medifast from the Center or do you have to be "signed up" so to speak?

 

H

Hap I've read that you cannot walk in and buy. It's much more expensive to go to a center and they don't allow people to just buy foods. I've read some people are quoted $1000+ plus the cost of food. Sounds like a lot of money because I'm doing it just paying for food online.

Hi, Crab!!! Welcome to our "threesome"... only kidding... but it seems like we've been the only three here for awhile... this past week and a half seems like ages for some reason LOL.

 

For me it's still...211, 212, 211, 212, 212, 211.....for the past few days. I'm counting on Karen's comments to get me through this "plateau"... jeez... I've been on this for only two weeks but I'm going to call it a "plateau" anyhow, dammit.

 

Just gotta stay OP, don't cheat for anything, and weigh everything!! I'm dying to break the 210 mark. Not trying to be a scale slave, but I think I'm a scale slave. So be it.

 

Have a great day everyone!!!!

 

H

Hap - it WILL go down. You can't continue to eat this amount of calories <1000 and not lose it. Sometimes your body hangs on for a bit. You'll get there!!

Have a great day - headed to the gym for my 45 minutes :)

Hi Crab! That's awesome! I take senekot s every couple days to help. I see a lot of people using a TBSP of flaxseed in their shakes or something to help staying regular.

Glad you posted - it's great we can support each other.

Yay Karen!!

Hap - I totally find they're better in a frying pan than in the microwave. :)

yup - the mymedifast site has a lot of good info. There's definitely some crazies, but there's a lot of good info. There's also an "official" section where you can ask questions of the professionals at MF.

Hap - my scale didn't budge for almost a week and then on weigh in day I was down 2.5, so keep on keepin' on and it will come off.

Karen - do you read the Medifast boards at all? There's a ton of info about exercising there. Even if you're an avid exerciser, you still are supposed to limit it to 45 minutes a day. You're not taking in enough calories to sustain more than that.

Went for a 45 treadmill walk today :)

Good for you - first week DONE. It's hard in the beginning. For me now, it's second nature. Just had my pancakes and heading to the gym for my walk.

good for you - they say intervals like that are great for fat burning. I went to the gym this morning too! 3rd time this week. Wooohooo

Hap - thanks for the info from your coach!

YAY!!! Kudos NCL! So glad your problem was resolved before sailing :)

Mary Beth