There are three ways to start this story, even if it's not one easy to admit, even as I grapple with the compromises I make. I'm not entirely proud – except that I’ve taken charge of my body weight albeit AGAIN.
In these words, I hope, is a story of Choice and Hope and Compromise.
INTRO NUMBER ONE: The Dr Phil Effect.
Back before Dr Phil was Somebody, before Oprah, before the Dr Phil Show day-time trash, before the Britney Spears intervention, my sister asked, “Have you heard of this guy, Dr. Phil? When you repeat the same behavior again and again, he’ll ask, ‘How’s that workin’ out for ya?’ It’s absurd to expect different results from the same behavior.”
And the truth is, even though I believe in it, Weight Watchers hasn’t been working for me. But wait, let me put that more carefully, more honestly: despite numerous hopeful starts and re-starts, for the last few years, I haven’t been working Weight Watchers. It’s not the fault of Weight Watchers, it’s mine.
INTRO NUMBER TWO: The Billboard Effect.
“Floss Only the Teeth You Want to Keep” read a campus billboard when I was in college. It was an “aha moment” that changed my morning routine forever.
Fast forward thirty years, when a close contact was diagnosed with out-of-control diabetes and the diabetic counselor quoted a heart-stopping statistic. “You can reduce diabetes risk by 60% by losing just 5% of your body weight.” The numbers hit me like a billboard. Small loss, big benefit. I felt new resolve.
[For the record, the counselor didn’t get it quite right, but still, the statistics are powerful. The CDC says, “Research shows that modest weight loss and regular physical activity can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent in people with prediabetes. Modest weight loss means 5% to 7% of body weight, which is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. Getting at least 150 minutes each week of physical activity, such as brisk walking, also is important.” Source: Center for Disease Control]
INTRO NUMBER THREE: The Friend Effect.
More research. If your friends are fat, you’re more likely to be fat. If your friends are thin, you’re more likely to be thin.
My book club friends are some of my longest, closest friends. We see each other at least once a month so it’s easy to keep track. Over the years, the tallest three of us got heavier than healthy, not obese-heavy, just carrying way too much excess weight.
Early last year, my friend Ann lost 30 pounds with Weight Watchers, her story was compelling. (Remember Weight Watchers, Meet Michael Pollan? Afterward I re-joined WW and lost 10 pounds pretty easily.
Another friend, that’s Denise from Eat Laugh Love dove into Weight Watchers with her husband. Both are looking so good!
Along the way, another friend Georgia, motivated by her daughter’s upcoming wedding, lost 65 pounds. How? After first losing weight on her own, she switched to Medifast. When our book club met in September, I noticed Georg across the pool: she had knees, pointy knees!
WHY I SWITCHED FROM WEIGHT WATCHERS TO MEDIFAST
Weight Watchers wasn’t working for me. I needed a reboot. A brand-new approach. Some new way to think about food and weight.
Diabetes prevention was suddenly more important.
My friends were all looking so good!
BUT IT WAS A SLOW & AGONIZING DECISION
Over about nine months, all this was whirling around me. I kept thinking about Medifast, without really knowing much about it except the processed food – the basis of Medifast’s weight loss program – all that processed food.
But then my friend Kathy hit me over the head. Now you have to know this about Kathy. She’s another book club friend and more than that, one of those “sensible” people. She and her husband are great real-food cooks, they love to cook for themselves and their families and friends. She’s tiny-small and crazy for hard exercise. Last year, Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer (a real shock for all of us, she was the first in our circle) and went through two surgeries and radiation therapy. She’s also a successful lifetime Weight Watcher and the friend who coached me when I first lost 30 pounds with Weight Watchers in 2002. Kathy too, I learned later, had become unhappy with Weight Watchers, in fact, unbeknownst to me, had become a Medifast health coach.
Here’s what she said, when I was disdainful about Medifast. “Being overweight is so harmful to your health, the importance of losing weight trumps the importance of real food. If losing weight takes processed food, it takes processed food.”
Those words stuck with me, even as I made another fresh start with Weight Watchers, especially as I looked at the round face in the mirror and felt horrified at photographs – who was that fat person???
[For the record, the words above are mine, paraphrasing Kathy. When I asked her the question again this week, she answered, “Overweight people have bigger fish to fry than worrying about processed food. When you are overweight, you damage your body with toxins and inflammation. The important thing is to get the weight off to rid your body of these toxins and the inflammation – and then worry about real food, organic food, etc. Plus many overweight people are already living on a steady diet of low-nutrient processed food. Medifast replacement meals may be processed food but they are nutritionally sound.”]
AT LAST, A DECISION
The week before Thanksgiving, I started Medifast with three goals:
To lose 30 – 35 pounds, maybe 40, without screwing up my metabolism.
To “think less” about food (that’s hard, as a food writer, long-time cook and someone who l-o-v-e-s to cook for others …)
To invest in myself not only for my own health and well-being but for those who love me.
EIGHT WEEKS LATER, I’VE LOST 20 POUNDS
I’m in my eighth week on Medifast and have lost 20 pounds, that’s 2-1/2 pounds a week. I feel strong and energetic and most of all, empowered. I lost the twenty pounds over the holidays and felt few temptations to “cheat”. I think there are three reasons why it’s working.
I am highly motivated. I was just ready.
I am blessed with loving personal support, I couldn’t ask for more, it’s means the world.
Like all the major weight-loss programs, Medifast works when you follow the program.
LESSONS – why Medifast is working for me
Medifast features which I expect to long continue.
Small, Frequent Meals Medifast calls for eating every 2 to 3 hours. I fixed on a routine where I eat first thing in the morning, then set my phone alarm for 2-1/2 hours later, then repeat throughout the day. (If my day starts early and ends late, I stretch the time between meals to 3 hours.)
The 5 & 1 Plan During Medifast's weight-loss phase, you eat five "replacement meals" (each about 100 calories) and one "Lean & Green" meal (about 300 calories) plus an optional daily snack.
Five Convenient Meal Replacements During Medifast’s weight-loss phase, eating every 2 to 3 hours works out to five small meals a day. This is the packaged food, what Medifast calls “meal replacements”. Each packet takes just a couple of minutes to fix, no thinking required, no wondering “what to eat” or “what to cook”. For me, treating food as fuel removed the distraction and fascination of food preparation.
Medifast says that the Medifast meals contain at least 24 vitamins and minerals and are "nutrient-dense, low-fat, low-calorie, low-glycemic meal replacements that help you lose weight by promoting a mild fat-burning state and limiting your calories" (those are their words, not mine).
One Small “Real Food” Meal Medifast calls this its “Lean & Green” meal. I find this meal most satisfying, a large serving of lean protein plus 1-1/2 to 2 cups of vegetables. If you've ever felt hungry for protein on Weight Watchers, this meal will really appeal.
I keep my Lean & Green meal really simple, following the prescribed amount of chicken, fish, beef of eggs (the amount varies) plus a cup of lettuce or spinach plus a cup of chopped fresh vegetables with a little olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. For the first few weeks, this “real food” kept me sane, now, later on, I look forward to the real food but don't feel so starved for it, in part, because I am eating only the Medifast meal replacements I like.
Meal Before Bed One of the five Medifast “meals” is scheduled shortly before bedtime. I know, I know, this really contradicts what we learn elsewhere, that we shouldn’t eat after 6pm or three hours before sleeping. Medifast sees it differently, that it’s important to maintain consistent calories and glucose levels throughout the day, to make the “fast” before breakfast shorter rather than longer. This really works for me!
Optional Daily Snack Medifast also allows an optional snack, three kosher dill pickles (swoon ...) or three pieces of celery or a few almonds. I use these every so often to stretch the time between, say, the 4th Replacement Meal and the Lean & Green meal.
Easy Restaurant Choices The Lean & Green meal is easy to eat out, so long as you choose the right restaurant. Just order a piece of fish or a steak (plain chicken would work too but is harder to find, out) with a small salad and a vegetable. The Lean & Green meal can be used at breakfast, lunch or dinner but I found that dinner was the easiest.
Medifast Off-Limit Foods During the weight loss phase, basically everything else is off limits. Dairy. Bread. Sweets. Liquor. Fruit.
Liquid, Lots of Liquid Like many weight-loss programs, Medifast calls of a large liquid intake. Plain water comes hard for me, so I returned to this summer’s wonderful coffee replacement, hibiscus tea, served hot.
Meal Replacements I Actually Like Eating-wise, the first weeks on Medifast were the hardest, because I was still experimenting with the various meal replacements eaten five times a day. I hated a LOT of these and disliked MANY of these.
But I actually LIKE the shakes – especially the chocolate shakes – in the mornings made with coffee otherwise with water. At first, I made shakes in the blender with ice cubes, like a chocolate milkshake. Then I started mixing shakes in the blender, then transferred the liquid to a quart jar for warming in the microwave, yum, it’s like hot chocolate.
I also like the “bars” – especially the peanut butter bars, the caramel bars and the chocolate crunch bars. These are easy to carry in your purse for when you’re out and about without access to a blender.
LESSONS – why Medifast might not work for others
The Expense Medifast is expensive. Each meal replacement costs about $2.36, five a day means almost $12 a day, that's the equivalent of about $83 a week or $350 a month. For those who eat out a lot, you might actually save money. (Note: with new-customer discounts, my first two orders averaged $1.93, the equivalent of $68 a week or $291 a month, about 22% less. All website access is included, as are one-on-one consultations with weight-loss counselors. I haven't used these.)
Few Healthy Habits Medifast doesn’t teach personal long-term healthy eating habits, at least in the weight-loss phase (maybe those lessons will come in the later phases when the program transitions participants off meal replacements back onto real food, I’m not there yet) plus there’s no collateral “healthy eating” for our families when we begin cooking healthy food.
Unrealistic Expectations Medifast teaches us that food comes in paper packets and can/should be prepared in five minutes with little/no skill or clean-up.
Points the Wrong Direction Medifast feeds a “sweet tooth” and a “carb tooth” even while dis-allowing sweets and carbs. The meal replacements lean sweet- and carb-ward, heavy on pancakes and puddings and pasta to say nothing of brownies, cheese puffs, breakfast cereals, shakes and candy bars.
MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR
Hunger Over eight weeks, I've felt “hungry” just once. It happened when I accidentally left the house without a meal replacement and crossed not only the three-hour mark but the five-hour mark. For the rest of that day and the entire next day, I felt hungry, really hungry.
Temptation Surprisingly, I felt little to no temptation over the holidays. We even hosted a small dessert party. Out and in, I drank lots of club soda instead of wine. Buffets were easy, I just put a little food on a plate and then didn’t eat it. When friends invited us for dinner, I ate protein and salad and a vegetable. When it would have been awkward, I ate a couple of bites of dessert and then left the rest. Honestly? If anyone noticed, I didn’t notice. Twice, though, sandwiches almost undid me, making turkey sandwiches for others after Thanksgiving, hungering for a ham sandwich with leftover Christmas ham.
The Low Point A low moment occurred this past weekend. I felt "safe" with all the holiday madness gone and then hit the twenty-pound mark – I was elated! Then something happened and I fell into a mad-sad-disappointed emotional state and found myself suddenly out of control – a leftover Christmas cookie and a homemade marshmallow were consumed in short order with zero pleasure. Small slips, maybe, but still, I was not in control. How did I stop it? I gave myself the night off and sat down to dinner with friends, enjoying a glass of very good wine and a small, low-calorie dessert with dinner. It was wonderful! But the next morning I got up and threw a Medifast shake into the blender: I want to get OFF Medifast and back to real food.
AND SO, ALANNA, WHAT’S NEXT?
I can't, of course, know where this story will end. I just know that it’s been eight weeks, I’ve lost twenty pounds and feel great. I’m down at least one size and am digging into back closets for clothes that fit. I’m back to vigorous exercise every day. A new box of Medifast arrived on Saturday. And that fat face in the mirror?
WHY I TELL THIS STORY, WHY I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOURS
When Weight Watchers works for us, when our other healthy lifestyle choices work for us, wonderful! But when something in our lives isn't working, maybe it's time to consider a new approach. Expecting different results from the same behavior is absurd. So a fresh start is hopeful. It's resourceful. It's not giving up, it's taking charge, even when unexpected and unhappy compromises are required. And that, Kitchen Parade readers, is why I write this story, one I could easily have let happen in the background, no word to the wise.
This go-round, I've been so lucky to get great support day in and day out. But we're not all so lucky. Are you looking for Choice? For Hope? Do you need to tell your story? I'd love to hear it ... write to me, leave it in the comments anonymously or with just your first name. Are you taking account, taking stock? Do you take hope?
© Copyright 2013 Kitchen Parade
Page Permalink
|
E-Mail This Recipe Join the Conversation!
To read comments from other readers, please scroll down.To leave your own comment, please scroll down to 'Post a Comment'.
If I don't lose this weight, I WILL have diabetes. No doubt about it. I think the new trends for WW are great - focus on whole eating, etc. But it just doesn't work for people like me! And it doesn't work fast like Medifast!
xoxo,
Denise
Cyndi ~ Yes, that blood sugar. The whole summer thing took me by surprise. It's so important, however you can do it. But then I said that already, didn't I?
Katyola ~ Thanks for that tip, I'll look into it. I met a woman at a cookie swap i December, she'd lost something like 40 pounds with My Fitness Pal, just tracking calories. For her, the tracking made all the difference.
Denise ~ Thanks, you are very much part of this story! I haven't forgotten telling you, back in July, that I was thinking about it ... I told you before I'd really even told myself, haha.
Kathy ~ Ah yes, the soy and the expense. I prefer fresh, real food too. I think of it as my 'reward' - not in the way you get a cookie as a reward but that as long as I can get to a healthy weight and stay there, then my love affair with real food can continue ...
Judy ~ Thanks! I made the mistake of not continuing to weigh in with WW once I lost the weight more than 10 years ago now. It won't happen again.
Elissa ~ Your idea of "real food" small meals is exactly where I think I'll end up. I'm just trying to not veer off on my own path quite yet. But in time. Because I've definitely learned some good things from Medifast, things I'll want to continue. Thanks for the referral too, I'll check into it!
Good on your for taking charge of your health!
I told you it looks like you're aging backwards in that photo-weight loss and daily vigorous exercise sure shine almost as much as your smile.
I am not trying to lose weight, only to get on my Reformer in the basement at least 3 times a week, but when a bunch of friends were trying and told me about myfitnesspal I did that. For me, though, cooking new recipes from scratch all the time, it was more of a pain in the bum to type in each recipe than the reward of seeing the calorie count would have been. So I stopped. I have no suggestions for you in that area.
Last night Mark and I signed up to walk the USAF half marathon in September. So I will say that having some sort of goal (a wedding, a half marathon) is probably a good motivator. I don't know--still icy on the sidewalks so I'm not going to take the pup out for a 10 mile training walk this morning. Three miles will have to do.
I'm so proud of you!
I started Oct 2 and as of this posting I've lost 55 pounds. (I think I safely fall into the category of "results not typical".) It's amazing how great I feel -- how much energy I have, how my cravings have gone away, how I've broken my addictions from sugar and carbs, how I'm sleeping better... I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. Ive lost weight before, but nothing like this. Nothing this fast or easy. That's worth a lot to me. Since starting I've become one of their health coaches (free if you use Take Shape For Life) so I can help others.
A few thoughts on some of the objections:
1. Pre-packaged, processed foods. Okay, yeah. I wasn't excited about dehydrated food, either. But do you realize how much processed foods most of us use anyway?? Unless you're making your own breads, pastas, yogurts, growing your own veggies and fruits, etc etc, you are definitely eating a lot of processed foods, even if it's "healthy". At least this food is formulated by doctors to be nutritionally balanced and healthy for you.
2. Cost. Yeah, it's expensive. I heard the price and laughed. But then I sat down and looked at how much I was spending on food: I ate a lot at my work's cafeteria or coffee bar. The portion of our grocery bill that was stuff I wouldn't use while on Medifast was huge. Suddenly the cost looked so much more manageable. Support on this program is free, unlike other weight loss programs so I was saving those fees as well. Plus consider how much you spend on doctor co-pays, medicines, and how much you could spend ultimately in hospital and other medical bills if you don't lose the weight. If you've spent money on failing on other plans in the past, why keep going back? The only way to know if you'll succeed on a different program is to try it. In the case of Medifast, if it's not the program for you, return your uneaten food and get most of your money back.
3. Long term maintenance: This program does not abandon you once you've reached your goal. It will teach you how to transition back into "real" foods again and then finally teach you how to use those real foods to keep the weight off and be healthy for life. And with TSFL -- the support is free to you for life, even if you're not using the Medifast products anymore. Not a bad deal.
4. Taste. Okay. Some of it I won't touch again. But a lot of it is really fairly decent and some of it I downright love... that sounds like any food out there, really. And then for those foods you're not so crazy about, there are all sorts of creative people out there on the internet who find ways to prepare foods in completely different ways that do make them enjoyable. (For example, unlike Alanna, I can't stand the chocolate shakes. But they make a pretty decent cupcake!)
I never thought that a program that provides most of your food for me would ever work. I LOVE fresh foods -- fruit in particular was hard for me to give up. But who cares?? When you see results like this as quickly as this, suddenly it's not quite the sacrifice. And I know when I reach my goal I get to have those foods again. I love this journey and I love helping others reach their health goals as well. There's no better feeling than this!
Kir ~ Thank you, dear friend! And you're the second person today to mention a half marathon, good for you and Mark!
Anonymous ~ I am so-so-so glad that Weight Watchers works for you. It really is a life-saver for so many. Six months is excellent, stay with it!
Bohanny ~ Thank you, girl! Good luck with doing WW with your friend, here's to both of you!
Anonymous ~ I haven't seen Forks Over Knives but now it is on the list, thank you. Maybe a St. Louis screening?
BevvBevv ~ Ack, yes, the guilt. I so get that. I'm so glad you've found something that is working for you now.
Ananas ~ Thank you for chiming in with thoughtful reactions. We have different ideas on what's processed food and what's not processed food, but I hear you on each of your points. And I'm so glad you brought up the long-term support, that was new to me.
Kalyn ~ Thank you, thank you. I remember when we first knew one another and talked about the differences between Weight Watchers (my way) and South Beach (yours).
Anonymous ~ A little success is totally motivating, isn't it? The weight isn't "melting off" me like it does for some on Medifast but still, each day when I get on the scale, each day when I feel bones I haven't felt in some years, I feel grateful.
In November I picked up running to spend more time with fit family and friends. I am doing the "Run Double C25K"--an app to help you run a 5k in 9 weeks. Since I have never ran a step in my life, this is a challenge, but I want to be healthier, fit, and to spend time with other healthy people to stay on track. I haven't lost one pound and use that as motivation to keep moving. Surely all those skinny runners looked just like me when they started!
Alanna you look great and each of us will succeed using different methods, sometimes even the same methods at different times. Keep preaching it! Can't wait to hear more about your successes.
Rebecca
I lost a little over 30 pounds counting calories in my early 40s when I developed hypertension and around 10 of them slipped back on with perimenopause... on the other hand, I'm also really committed to never weighing as much as my maximum or even close, ever again. I've figured out I need more protein now and less carbs. Hard realization for a carb lover, but my body is talking!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Anonymous ~ Wow, down fifty pounds, good for you, Medifast is really working for you. And you size up the program exactly right, "It isn't easy, but it certainly is simple. I love that. Each day I choose 5 things - any 5 things - add a lean & green and that is all the thinking I have to do."
Cynthia ~ Thank you so much for your support and good wishes, it means the world. I didn't realize you were a successful WW!!
Anonymous ~ Your encouragement brought me a big smile today ... well, after I got "something in my eye" there for a minute ... thank you.
Rebecca ~ How totally brilliant to sign up for the Couch to 5K program, for the direct benefits but also just to be able to hang out with other people who are living healthy lives. BRILLIANT! You've really got me thinking on that one ...
I like the chocolate shakes and the various bars.
After that? At first, I could tolerate the chicken noodle soup but I've got three boxes on hand and am having to force myself to eat one a day just to get rid of it. I like the spice pancakes and the chocolate pudding but don't order them because I really don't want to get used to sweet and carb-y things, which I didn't eat before and certainly don't want to get started on.
I hated the eggs. I hated the sloppy joes. I hated the vegetable soup. I HATED-HATED-HATED the oatmeal. I liked so few things, I sent everything except shakes and bars back (Medifast has a good return policy) and stopped trying any others. I'm not bored with the shakes, they're filling, they help me drink more liquid, I like them hot and cold.
I know that the Medifast forum is full of people who take the food and turn them into something else (eg some today who doesn't like the chocolate shakes says that they make good brownies) but I do not want to pretend this is "cooking" or "real food". So I ignore those possibilities.
For the record, I am NOT a picky eater with real food. While there are a few things I don't care for (sweetbreads and Wonder bread) or prefer cooked one way more than another (boiled kale vs sauteed kale), it is rare for me to not like something.
The one thing I'd say is, do everything you can t take charge now at 20 pounds. Don't let it turn into 30 or 40 or worse. I wish I'd followed my own advice.
At about the same time I read about a group of people who maintained their health and had minimal weight gain throughout their lifetimes. It didn't prompt me to eat the way they did, but it did inspire me to find out how people in other countries and cultures ate. There were a lot of similarities and some differences -- mostly in exactly what they ate. I also started thinking back to when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s -- when it was rare to see someone who was truly overweight.
I was also in contact with older adults, many of whom weren't significantly overweight and had few health problems. I either observed or asked them about their eating habits. I started noticing some similarities.
The slim, healthy people in other countries and the slim, relatively healthy older adults I saw had some things in common. Most never ate processed foods. If they did, they were consumed rarely. And contrary to the advice now to snack throughout the day, most never snacked. If they did snack it was only once a day. Among the older adults, those who were slim ate less than they had when they were younger. Not little enough to be malnourished, but definitely less than when they were in their prime.
I eat three meals daily and rarely snack. About the only time I snack is if a meal is going to be significantly late. I do eat less at meals. Two of my meals, usually breakfast and lunch, tend to be smaller and one is larger. I don't feel deprived because I'm satisfied with how much and what I eat. There's nothing I don't eat, but many things that I don't eat often. If I really want something, I have it. I also have a general plan of what to eat at meals.
I'm also a fan of Michael Pollan's mantra: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Real food has been very important in my own journey. I've found that I don't need to eat as much real food to be satisfied.
Another thing I learned is that it's perfectly normal, in fact, somewhat necessary, for a woman to gain 20-25 pounds from the time she's about 20 until her mid-40s. It has to do with reproduction. This has been observed throughout the world and throughout history. It's even observed in art where maidens are slim and matrons are, well, more matronly. Part of the reason it may be hard for those of us "of a certain age" to lose weight is that we're not supposed to weigh the same as when we were younger.
Love the tip about making the shake with coffee. I'll definitely try that.
I don't have a lot of weight to lose (only about 15 pounds), but have just not been able to motivate myself to reduce my food intake enough to get rid of it. I think that putting myself on a diet like this where I have specific food to eat each day is the kind of structure I need to jump-start my weight loss.
I usually eat well (fresh foods from scratch, with lots of lean protein and veggies, not many sweets), so the idea of the pre-packaged food wasn't all that exciting to me. But I was won over by the "lean and green" meal that I would be able to have each day, and by the structure of the packaged meals - no having to figure out what to eat each day, no counting calories/points/carbs.
I just bought the 2-week variety pack to try it out. If it works out OK, I'll order more. Since I don't need to lose a lot, I don't expect to be on it for more than a few months. If I find it hard to stick with it for a long stretch of time, perhaps I'll try alternating the Medifast food with home-cooked food on alternate weeks or even alternate days. As long as I'm lowering my overall food intake, I should still lose weight, though more slowly, of course.
Congratulations on your weight loss, and sticking with it! It's a great inspiration to me.
Congrats on your weight loss--I hope to be down 20 to 30 lbs by this summer.
Sally ~ I so appreciate your thoughtful (and literal) observations, thank you for taking the time to write. The "snack" ideas do resonate, since one of the things I most appreciate about Medifast is the frequency of the food intake.
re snacks, perhaps it's a linguistic difference but to me, a "snack" means a "treat" - something like a piece of cake or a cookie or popcorn maybe. A meal implies something else, and for me, at least for now and I hope for later, more small and healthy meals during the course of a day feels right, keeping my sugar levels even over many hours. My idea for these "non meal" meals are a small bowl of vegetable soup or a small salad or a small piece of protein or a small piece of fruit.
And yes, yes! There IS a difference between a girl's physique and a "matron's". My very thin friends somehow appear gaunt and wiry and tired, those with some healthy weight seem to glow.
Thank you, thank you, for adding so much to this conversation.
Vegan Gypsy ~ Yes, I see Medifast as a tool to just get me where I need to be, then to use WW/some Medifast principles to stay on the track. Is "vegan" working as a weight loss vehicle for you? Mark Bittman of course lost many, many pounds with his "vegan until dinner" approach. I know that the first time I gained weight, back in my 30s, was when I stopped eating meat. It's not fair to blame vegetarianism, it's just that I wasn't well-educated and switched to cheese as one protein source.
Anonymous ~ Congratulations, 38 pounds in three months!! That is terrific, go, go, go. And it really encourages me that I'm not alone in using both WW and Medifast as different tools at different times in our lives. Your sister is a wise woman!
CabledSheep ~ So many Medifast users have many pounds to lose, it's nice to know that it also appeals to those with fewer to lose. Good luck!
If you're not used to caffeine, be careful using a full 2 cups of coffee to make the shake, it will, at least it did me, give you a bad-bad case of the shakes!
So a snack isn't necessarily a treat, but it could be.
I had been skeptical about packaged foods and cost. Yet when you really step back and think about it, it was skilled at buying ingredients with the best of intentions, changing plans, forgetting the recipe and then throwing away the food. Wasted food, larger clothes, and most importantly diminishing health can be even more costly than the MF plan. With thyroid issues, to ease my mind, I also checked with our family physician. He gave his seal of approval.
Originally I questioned how some of the prepackaged "meals" could keep me full. Surprisingly they did. Like you, it took trial and error to find the meals I preferred. Tastes do change over time. Recommend reconsidering some of the items you did not like earlier.
I started Medifast in May and am approaching 60 pounds lost. This is my "mindless", stress management diet. I keep a variety of products well stocked so I can change my mind easily for each meal. Looking forward to maintenance, I can see Medifast as a quick option if those pesky 5 or so pound start to creep back on.
I do believe that everyone is different and will champion any plan that works for someone as long as they are not compromising their health in the process. For me, going truly low carb makes a difference. It irritates me to see all of the high carb options with WW and the many "healthy" frozen entrees by a number of brands. Wish they'd focus more on ramping up veggies and decreasing carbs.
Enough of my Saturday morning rant. Thanks for being a blessing to so many of your readers.
I have only just "met" you having stumbled on your site while looking for a recipe. I am a Weight Watchers Lifer who after several false starts on WW finally lost over 70 lbs 8 years ago and have kept it off.
What did I do differently my last time on WW?
I had also heard the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and execting different results.
When I joined WW my goal was NOT to lose weight as it had been every other time I had gone on a diet. Once I lost the weight it was always "Woo Hoo! I did it!!" and then back to my old habits and eventually my old weight plus some. This time was different. This time my goal was to get onto the WW MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
Then when I reached my goal weight 8 years ago I was so excited because I was finally able to start what I had set out to do when I joined. It was like I was finally in front of the door I had been waiting for for so long. I was going to start the maintenance program. And I have never looked back. If you think you can eat a lot on WW when losing weight, you should see what Maintenance looks like!
I wish you much success on Medi Fast but if you ever end up back on WW you might want to consider my strategy.
Thank you for your great blogs and your enthusiasm for healthy food and for including WW points in your recipes.
Sally ~ Thanks for that clarification, we are on the same wavelength. :-)
Molly ~ Ah yes, thinking "less" about food. There's a big difference between my goal and my current reality. The goal was to really step away from food, to stop reading about it, to stop writing about it and definitely to stop cooking it and thus going through the constant consideration of What's in the fridge? what's in season? who's coming for dinner? what photos on my sites need updating? what am I hungry for? and on and on and endlessly on. The reality is that I got away from that last but not away from the first ones, you'd think they would have been the easier ones! I'm still a work-in-progress on this regard but I am slowly filling my time with non-food interests again. Any ideas? How would you do it?
LindaRuthC ~ Wow, good for you, that is such an inspiration. I am happy that official WW people are finding what I'm doing to make sense, if only for awhile.
Janine ~ Sixty pounds, wow, that's just awesome, I hope you are sooo proud of yourself! Your words really made my day, thank you.
Anonymous ~ Isn't this, yes, a funny way to "meet"? I'm so glad you wrote. Your words really resonate with me because when I think back, I know EXACTLY how many points I needed to lose weight on WW, 18 on the Old Point system, but have no idea what the maintenance points were! I know it's because my practice was to do 18 points a day most days, then relax on the weekends. And that system worked for me for about four years! But still, I don't know a THING about WW Maintenance and even now, I can tell I'm not really looking forward to Medifast Maintenance either because I so want to get off the program.
I've been warned. THANK YOU.
Thank you for posting your experience and being so honest and forthcoming. I'm a WW life-timer and loyal to the program. I've been hesitant to post a comment because I did not want to appear as a troll or as negating others' experience. That's not my intention.
So, that said, here is my concern ... One's overall health status and underlying medical conditions can be at the heart of being unable to maintain a healthy weight.
Individuals who are *truly* on a weight loss program (ie, faithful to Weight Watchers 24x7) and not seeing results, probably should see their physician. There are some times in our lives when we are not *meant* to lose weight ... when we are growing children, when we are pregnant, when we approaching menopause, when we are ill, etc.
I understand the struggle with weight loss and maintenance. After all, I didn't end up in Weight Watchers because I ate healthy and exercised regularly. However, I've often struggled since attaining my goal weight. Some times, I wasn't faithful to the program, and that is correctable. But other times my body was operating at 100% due to illness or the transition to menopause. It's these times that a physician, not a new weight loss plan, was my best course of action.
So, my intention is to encourage your readers to evaluated their own health and visit their doctor prior to adopting a new diet if they think it might be necessary.
Wishing everyone health & happiness,
~ Susan
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna