April chat ???

[SweetP]

just wondering if anyone was interested??? Seems to have quieted down a bit :(

[abovethedin]

I'm interested!

[Operator265]

Just got the call that my first order has been shipped today. Went shopping yesterday for some of the L/G stuff. Trying to get aquainted with the program plus this is my first time chatting online. Thank goodness I have a 14 yr. old to help me out. Hope y'all are still interested. I'll probably have alot of questions.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I got a call today that my first order ship also! I'm getting really excited about it.

I think I'll need to go get a scale for my L&G. I know what everyone says about how to gauge the size of a piece of meat...like four ounces is about the size of your palm, etc...but I've always wondered, what about the thickness? Has anyone else used a scale? Do I really need to be that accurate?

[amazingplatinum]

I use a scale! It was an old one my mom got at weight watchers... but it is really helpful for me to know how much something weighs... I have no clue if something is an once of 5 oz!! I was actually pretty happy that the lean part you do actually get quite a bit of food! I like my scale alot, plus it keeps me honest in how much I eat rather than guess-timating!

[Operator265]

I have a cheap little plastic one but I think I'll get a better one. OMG I saw the neatest one on The Today Show yesterday. You put the food on it and put in a code for what the food was and it gave you the nutrient info. for that portion size. It seems it cost between $30-50 but I was reading the paper at the same time I was watching. I've got to see if I can find it on the show's wedsite.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Ooo! That sounds nifty! If you find it, can you post the link?

[Operator265]

I found it!!! I hope it's not a rule violation but it was the Kitrics Digital Nutrition Label Scale, $39.95 at QVC.com. I am soooo getting one.

[Operator265]

The rundown on the stuff that was on the show is at http://www.msnbc.com/id/238723831. Gadgets that Help you Lose Weight by Dr. Joy Bauer.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I don't think that would be a rule violation. I think they just don't want us posting links to personal sites to make money off of fellow 3FC'ers. I've seen several posts with links to work out equipment, so I think you're safe. If you do get banned...they better ban me too for asking you to post it! :)

Oh! And thanks for posting!!! I will definitely check that out!

[Operator265]

Good luck.:D Let me know when your shipment arrives. I can't wait for mine. Hopefully this is something I can do working 12.5 shifts on a haul truck.:( I sure need help with eating better for me foods. I'll check ya out later.:dizzy:

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Ah! It's waitlisted. :( I guess the hype from the Today Show paid off for QVC! It's also on Amazon, but it's $50...don't know if I want to shell out another $10 + S/H for it. Maybe I can find something similar someplace else...

[SweetP]

I use a scale too but it nothing fancy!

[Operator265]

Yeah. I'll just use what I have till later. I sure hope my MF gets here soon. I've just been offered training at work and after 3 weeks in class I'll be working my butt off for at least 3 more weeks and I don't want to take a major jump in excercise level. The program said wait 3 weeks, so it should work out just about right if the stuff gets here sometime this weekend.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Oh, wow! I just had the peanut butter bar and that thing is dangerous! I might have to lay off of the bars...

[Operator265]

Mine either hasn't gotten here yet or they won't deliver if no one is home. Oh well, I'm off for the next two days. Only problem is I found out the training I'm getting at work is classroom and field work so I'll be getting "physical" pretty quick. :eek: I hope I can handle it all at once. If not, I may have to wait till the training is over.:( Plus I just found out today that the company provides lunches during the training which would make it a whole lot harder.:dizzy: Good luck LiLi hope it goes well. Keep in touch.:congrat:

[Mom2Cuties]

Hi everyone!

Today is one week on MF for me and I've lost 9 pounds. I am so excited! I feel great! I wish I had found this program a long time ago!!

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Operator - Gosh, I'm sorry your stuff hasn't gotten to you yet. Do you know what company it shipped with? Mine shipped UPS. I heard the doorbell ring, went to answer it, and no one was there but the box...and the cute rear-ended UPS guy was nearly sprinting back to his truck! So at least UPS doesn't seem to require anyone to be there but a doorbell! :) I hope you get your package in time to start. I hope it will be easy to do with your training classes too. Maybe if you make your lunches ahead of time and put them in a thermos?

Mom2Cuties - Hi!! That's great! I'm liking it so far too! (It's only been a day for me so far though...) Keep up the good work!

So, I feel like I kind of cheated yesterday. I got a humongous snack attack around 10:30 last night and was sooo tempted to run out for some french fries. I settled for my Medifast soy crunchy snack thingy-ma-bobs instead. I already had my snack with my lunch (Medifast crackers with my chili). At least I didn't have french fries! I hope today won't be so bad. I don't think an extra snack would hurt too much in the long run if it's only one time. Will it? Anyone else have snack attacks? How do you deal with them?

[Operator265]

Yeah it's UPS. I do have a notice from people who want to paint numbers on my street for me. I hope they didn't decide to take it. :mad:I HATE UPS.:mad: They left my wedding ring behind my trash can when I wasn't at home.:mad::mad::mad: I was lucky to see it much less not have it stolen. I wish they would just leave a notice so I can pick it up somewhere. Companies should offer shipment options. Whenever I can I ALWAYS ship postal. I'll even pay extra. Somethings the Post Office just does better.

I saved the message on my phone for just this reason. I'm calling shortly. I'm in the mtn. west so it may have taken longer. I hope, I hope. I've already checked out thermoses but I'm waiting to get the stuff so I get the right sizes. Space is precious in my lunch bag. I don't even want the crew calling by the name of the chick who used to come to work with 4 bags of stuff.:lol: OMG talk about not belonging on a mine site.

Good luck. Hope to be joining you soon.:cool:

[Operator265]

SCORE BIG TIME!!!:carrot: I just found a food scale just like the one on the Today Show at Target for the same price as QVC, so I saved on S&H. Cool Beans.

BUMMER BIG TIME!:mad: My order won't be here till Monday, so I'll probably wait until Sat. to begin so I can have at least two days at home before I go to work. I would hate to rip someone's head off as I'm adjusting(well a little):devil:

I'm gonna start following the L/G part and kind of fake my way on much of the rest just to get used the plan. I have fruit cups that are the right size for the SF jello snack so I can save the cups and make them at home for my lunches(OMG I'm a cheapee). I also have oatmeal packets and I'll get a few cans of slimfast. Then once my stuff arrives I'll do my starting weight and be ready to jump in, I hope.;)

[amazingplatinum]

Went in to enter a new signature and LO AND BEHOLD... the ability to create a TRACKER!!! Life is sweet........

[abovethedin]

Hello group,

Today is my weigh in day and after all of my off plan eating I am on the decline again and am ready to lose the last 34 pounds. I've really got to get into some type of strength training routine too; I am just too flabby. I hope everyone is doing well and has a wonderful Sunday.

Jen

[travelmom]

Today is day 8 for me and I am down 9 lbs!! Yipee! I am so happy with this program, even though there are times I want a pizza or junk food I have managed to get through it and stay OP. I want to know when does Medifast suggest you start walking or exercising? I am having a hard time finding strength right now but when I do I want to start walking but I know I have heard someone on the boards say to wait for a certain time? :carrot:

[Operator265]

I believe it's after 3 weeks.

[spectrumchub]

Hi all. I am new. I started medifast on monday and so far, so good. I am sooo needing this to work. I am so sad about all of the weight I have put on (piled it all on over 3 years during 2 pregnancies).... I know that the support is going to be key... anyway, just wanted to say "hello" and hopefully we will all be meeting our goals together! Good Luck All!!!!

[Operator265]

Hello Spec and welcome. I guess we have the same start date. We CAN do this, especially with each others help.:hug:

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Yay!!! I had my first official weigh-in today! I'm down 4.5 lbs! I hope this keeps up! :encore:

:welcome3:

Welcome spectrumchub!!! This is a great place for support, I know I love it! Good luck to you!

[SweetP]

Congrats to everyone - you are all doing great!!!

[MeltingAwayinDallas]

Hi All,
Hope you've had a wonderful weekend. I just completed week 2 on MF and I'm down 11.6 lbs. so far! I can't tell you how excited I am. These 2 weeks haven't been easy and I've definitley had my share of temptations, but this program works!! If you're struggling, hang in there! We can do this! :hug:

SW:226
Current:214.4
Goal:155(ish)

Personal Motto: "Happiness is not something you can put in your mouth"

[Operator265]

Way to go Melting!!!:congrat: Keep up the good work.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Yay MeltingAway!!! That's awesome! :bravo:

How was everyone's weekend?

I had my first "dining out" experience while on Medifast. I got a Balsamic Greek Chicken salad. It was really good, but I'm worried that there was tons of hidden fat in it. It seemed innocent enough though. I had them put the dressing on the side, which was all oil and some spices, their version of "vinagrette" so I didn't use any of it. The salad consisted of a smidgen of iceburg and feta, eight halves of those purple elongated italian olives (of which I ate 3 halves...couldn't help myself!), and was mostly sauted summer squash and tomatoes with humongoloid chunks of grilled chicken on top. I doubt there was six ounces of chicken, but I figured the feta made up for a bit of the protein (crossing fingers) and there was plenty of fat from the sauted veggies. It was all tossed lightly with balsamic vinegar. It was SO good and I'm not regretting it, I'm just hoping that it wasn't too far off plan for a L & G. At least I know there weren't any hidden carbs in it. No croutons on it at all!

[Operator265]

Well, I did my first week weigh in this morning and I've lost 7 lbs. I can't really get too excited though because I usually fluctuate about 3-5 lbs. a week anyway. But at least it is in the right direction. I will really hop up and down when I get to 200. Then I'll know it's because of MF.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

:congrat:

That's great! 7 lbs is awesome! Especially when you think about how it won't be "fluctuating" weight anymore, and that it's gone for good! Great job!

[MeltingAwayinDallas]

Congratulations Operator! 7lbs in your first week is awesome. :carrot:

[Operator265]

Thanks y'all. Sorry I was so pissy yesterday. Just a rough day at work.:tired: I am happy though. Like you said Lili, it's not coming back.

I LOVE this program. Tonight after work I was waiting to clock out and the other team was having a Safety Dinner. Cool thing was that I wasn't even bothered by it.:cool: I just talked to a couple of my Buds from that team. I could smell it and see it, but I wasn't even hungry.:D Heck, it was literally right under my nose!!!

I am so glad I stumbled onto this. If I would of gone a different route and failed, I doubt I would ever be willing to try MF later. It fits with the way I work. I just have to play with the prep instructions a little and it fits right in. I don't really change the taste much, a little boulion, salt and pepper mostly. However, I am going to make some of the oatmeal recipes this weekend. I almost have to choke that stuff down(same with the chai).:shrug:

I have also learned that the cream soups should stay and home where I have a blender. It just doesn't mix well in a soup thermos(comes out grainy and pasty).:yikes: But I put a serving of my greens in the chix soups and veg/beef stew with a little boulion, pour the water in and by the time I'm ready to have it 3-6 hours later it's really tasty and hearty.:T

I've also decided not to try to keep it a secret at work. I thought the guys would give me crap. Instead, I was hurting their feelings when I wouldn't accept their food. Now, they are starting to realize that they shouldn't offer it in the first place and I don't feel like I'm hiding some big damn secret. Also, my real Buds are supportive.:sunny:

I hope this gratitude entry makes up for yesterday pissy pooper. Love Y'all!!!

WE CAN DO IT, YES WE CAN!!!:grouphug:

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Operator, I'm sorry you had a bad day! :( At least it was better yesterday...and you know we're always here for you! :hug:

It's good your coworkers are being supportive. I still haven't told anyone what diet I'm on. I've told very few that I'm actually dieting at all. I carry most of my weight in my rear, thighs, and legs where it's easy to hide, so I don't look like I'm too much overweight. Not that I look anything near thin, but I normally get "The Look" and "The Lecture" when I tell people I'm dieting. You know, "What are you talking about? You don't need to diet!" I'm 5'3", was 165.5 lbs, had only two pairs of pants that fit me, and was nearing the obesity mark on the BMI scale...I do need to make a lifestyle change and I don't want to hear the lectures right now, it just undermines my determination to get the weight off. So, I've made the decision to tell only those who I know will be supportive. Not surprisingly only one of the four or five people who know is a female. Women can be the worst at undermining another woman's weight loss!

I had an "issue" with my scale this week. I weigh every day in the morning before my shower. And yes, I know weight fluctuates, and that people recommend once a week/month, yada yada yada. I've been weighing every day for over 17 years, I'm not going to stop. Anyway, on Tuesday I hadn't lost anything since last Thursday. :?: I was getting pretty worried...up till then it had been pretty steady drop of 1/2 - 1 1/2 lbs every other day. I read some of the forums and guides and found out I'd been measuring my food wrong. So, I started measuring my Lean AFTER I cooked it. I thought the portions were big before, now they're HUGE! I had trouble finishing dinner last night. But...I've lost 3.5 lbs in two days, which is just crazy! Yet another example of how eating more actually makes you lose weight! Of course, this is only my second week, I hope it doesn't slow down much more. I like losing this much a week.

I hope everyone has a great day!!

[Operator265]

Oh Sweetie I understand. I went into equipment and mining 1) I like the pay a whole lot better than what the pay is for "women's work" 2) There aren't near as many women around. They drive me nuts. Guys are much more up front about what's going on. They also(for good or bad) are just not as up in your business.

I hold most of my weight up front and have a large muscle mass quotient. When I was at my prime I weighed 135 at 5'2 and my BMI was perfect. So, when I started gaining wieght, no one could really see it and would tell me I didn't need to lose any. My husband would just look at the gain in my chest and say "No, honey. They look, I mean you great.";) It wasn't until I hit about 175-180 that it started showing.:yikes: Especially because my mother's side genetically carries fat right under our chins. Even my mom who never went over 150 and always looked good had a little bit of it. But BOY you can tell I'm overweight looking at me from the side. It's all right there in my belly.

I am so glad you discovered the mistake with your protein. It is so important to keep that portion up. Several of the trainers at work do protein shakes. Sometimes I think it's just so they can challenge each other in The Rankest Fart Contest, but it is actually so they can build muscle mass. That's why when we were worried about my physical activity increase would be too much I decided, if I needed to, that would be the area I would add extra to while still following the rest of the diet. I haven't needed to though. I'm tired in the evenings, but I think that's a good thing. I need my sleep so I can keep my mind on what I'm doing and not blow myself or somebody else up.:fr:

I know you won't give up weighing every day, just don't get to worried if you don't lose everyday. You're body has to stabilize every so often. I know it's hard. Especially if you see it inch up a little.:stress: Besides water, we also have our reproductive cycles and other internal mechanisms at work. We'll get there. WE'LL ALL GET THERE. WE JUST HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER AND BELIEVE!!

Love y'all
:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633441097064127500.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Oh, I had my biggest challenge today! I went to a renaissance festival with some friends. If you've ever been to one of these, you know that they have a ton of food there, and it's all deep fried, carb-filled yumminess. They actually have some things that I think could be considered on plan. I had a couple chicken on a sticks, which is pretty much a grilled chicken breast on a skewer. I was also *bad* :devil: and had a few bites of a pretzel...and a glass of wine. And I really chewed that pretzel slow and enjoyed every minute of my badness. I figured if I was going to be bad I better enjoy it.

Oh, well! I could have REALLY blown it and chowed down on a ton of stuff. They have cheesecake on a stick too, and the best brownies ever! I resisted that and am really proud of myself. Strange, I was tempted by them, but not nearly as much as I expected I would be. So, I'm really really hoping I didn't stall my weight loss too much. This week is going to be STRICTLY on plan to try to make up for the extra carbs.

[Operator265]

Way to go facing the challenge!!!:carrot: I don't think a little slip will end the battle. As far as the wine goes, I just saw one of the diet segments yesterday that said wine was one of the GOOD choices when trying to watch your weight on a diet and still go out with freinds.:cool:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633441097064127500.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

Hello all,

I just started this program last Thursday, and while I am not following it exactly (more like 4:2 instead of 5:1), it has definitely helped with getting me refocused on weight loss, as I was struggling with motivation for months.

Has anyone checked out their community boards? They have a section, called MyPlan that is great for logging food and exercise. I like not only the calorie consumed and expended chart, but also the graphs that tell you how many carbs, protein, etc you ate for the day.

Anyway, hope you don't mind that I just jumped in. Good luck today!

[amazingplatinum]

Hi everyone...

I am still on program despite my posts about how "difficult" it all has been. I haven't cheated yet and I am on my 5th week. This is sooo easy when I am at work because I am very busy rushing everywhere that this fits in perfect. It is the whole weekend thing and making food for my daughter and doing things out with the family- which always revolves around yummy food. So I take a deep breath and I just deal with it.

How is everyone doing?? I have been reading the boards and I am so proud of you guys for holding strong!!!!!

MUAH!

[PRISCIAS]

I didn't use a scale at first, but I hated the idea of following the plan all day and the possibility of ruining it with my L&G. I'm soo glad I got one! I was cheating myself by not nearly serving enough. :)

[SweetP]

Hang in there everyone - you are all doing a terrific job and it is SO worth it! :hug:

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Operator - Thanks! I knew when I decided to go that it would be hard and that I might not make it through unscathed, so I told myself I wouldn't be too hard on myself if I slipped and that I'd just work extra hard to make it up. I think the pep talk helped because I was able to enjoy myself and not worry too much about the food. I just worried about drinking any alcohol because from the Nutrition boards on MyMedifast, it sounds like it can really stall your weight loss, so I limited myself to one drink only and tried to pick something that was kind of healthier and had less sugar than say a balini or margarita.

Hi Alice! Welcome!!! Yeah, I check out the MyMedifast forums almost as much as I check 3FC. I don't post there much though. I like to read the official support threads to see what other people are asking about. I've learned a ton from that because they ask a lot of questions that I didn't even know I wanted to know too. I use the MyPlan everyday too and that's where I log my weigh ins and measurements. It's really handy to see the downward trend on there and it is a big motivator!

Amazingplatinum - I'm so glad you've stuck with it! I've been having the same problems on the weekends. It's hard to watch my bf suck down an entire pizza while I'm trying to stretch out my chili by scooping it onto MF crackers. Another thing I really didn't expect to be a problem was Starbucks. I don't go to Starbucks by myself ever, but the past two days I've been with friends who go there three times a day sometimes. It's so hard to just order an unsweetened iced green tea instead of my normal Chai Frappaccino with triple chai and honey. Hang in there hun, this isn't forever. Someday soon you'll be at goal and you'll be able to join in with your family, within reason of course!

Priscias - Welcome to you too! The kitchen scale has become my new best friend. I had no idea I wasn't getting nearly enough protein and now I feel a lot more full after dinner and that sure does help!

SweetP - Thanks for the motivation! :hug: It looks like you're doing great too! 111 lbs! That's amazing! Have you lost it all with Medifast?

[Operator265]

Hey there chicks. Nice to see the board a hopping. Welcome Alice and Priscias. Good to have you join in. It's really good to hear you're feeling stronger Platinum.
I think the only reason I haven't cheated yet is because I haven't really had the chance to. If I do at work, some smarty pants will bust me. Between training and overtime I've pretty much givin up on having a social life. But I'm on this program to have a good life, not dedicate my life to IT. So long as I don't get out of hand I still intend to enjoy myself every once in awhile. So there!!

I Love, Love, Love my food scale.:dancer: This weekend I got a new digital bathroom scale. Mine was giving me funky readings. I'ld get on once and be 209 then step right back on and be 211. It was making me nuts and I'm not a that addicted to scales(until last week that is). I didn't even own one until about 5 years ago. Oh yeah, that's when I started becoming rotund.:^: Anyhoo, this new scale is much better. I stepped on it like 5 times and got the same reading. Now I've got to program it for BMI.:eek:

I have checked out MyMedifast.com a little. That's where I finally figured out how to get my ticker working. I looked at the boards, but at that time wasn't too interested. I don't even remember how I found this one. It just came up when I was investigating whether or not to try MF. I took me awhile to figure out how to get to the 3FC homepage.:dizzy: I just really enjoy this site and everyone on it.:grouphug:

I also got a heartrate monitor this weekend. It's a regular watch plus it measures my heart rate and calories burned. I needed a watch for blast crew anyway, so I just spent the extra. I'm so glad I did.:) I helps keep my mind on what I'm going for. Heck, even on my lazy weedend I burned like 2000 calories. Now I can see why this program works. I can't wait until tomorrow when I'm running my :censored: off. It should be good. It's is WWAAYY better than one of those stupid pedometers.:p

Thanks for the encouragement SweetP. I get funny looks sometimes at work because Sweetie and Sweet Pea are two of my favorite phrases.

Keep up the good work everyone. Love Y'all!!!

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633441097064127500.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Sneeks]

Ok I just ordered it. . . took me about a month of staring at the "checkout now" button. I'm nervous as heck. I'm a snacker for sure. I'm afraid this will be hard. I'm very motivated though. I will be sure to start up a blog to track my progress and for you all the motivate me through it as well.

[MeltingAwayinDallas]

Hi All! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. The weather was just perfect here in Dallas. So far, 3 weeks down for me OP & today is day #2 of my forth week. Time sure does fly..

Sneeks-Welcome! Congratulations on placing your first MF order. I hope this plan works as well for you as it has for me. As of Saturday I'm down a total of 14.8 lbs (211.2 lbs Current Weight). I'm trying so hard to get to "onederland."

Good Luck Sneeks and be sure to post. I'd love to hear about your progress!! :hug:

[Sneeks]

wow congrads on your weight loss so far!! do your clothes fit different? Sometimes it's hard for me to imagine exactly what 20lbs looks like on my body. I hope enough to put me into smaller pants!

How long does it take to get your first shipment? I don't see an estimated time or anything. I guess I just did standard shipping.


I'm nervous about the L&G portion of the plan. I feel like I'm gonna be stuck eatting chicken and salad for the rest of my life. I'm not into cooking especially when I been at work for 12hrs a day.

[AliceEep]

Has anyone else experienced stomach issues with Medifast? It doesn't seem to be settling well with me, though this is only day 5. It is not enough to warrant abandoning the diet; it is just annoying.

I love 3FC much better than their boards, although, they have some really great looking recipes. In particular, someone created a bread recipe involving a packet of eggs & a packet of soup. Seems bizarre, but everyone is raving about it. I might give it a try this weekend.

Hope everyone is doing well and on track.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Sneeks, yeah, I was worried about only eating chicken salad for L&G too. So far it hasn't been too bad. I ended up getting some pork chops, some steaks, hamburger, and some salmon too. Except for the salmon I cook them all the same way as the chicken. Dump on some seasoning, spray some Pam in a skillet and just cook it; or if I'm in a real hurry I use my George Foreman. I also picked up some Gardenburgers and am looking forward to having two of them tonight. I am getting a little bored with the veggies though. I pretty much just have broccoli, green beans, mixed bell peppers, fresh spinach greens for salad, and mushrooms. I need to take the list with me next time I go to the store and try to branch out a bit.

Alice (or is it Jen?) Let me know how you like the bread! I haven't tried any of the bread recipes, but I really want to! I didn't realized how much I missed bread until I saw someone eating a sandwich the other day and started drooling! :T

I got on the scale this morning and gained 0.5 lbs. :( My badness this weekend had consequences! I guess I've learned my lesson. I've been really good since so I'm hoping it comes of plus some in the next few days.

[Operator265]

Good Move Sneeks!!!:carrot: My order took about 6 days, but that was over a weekend. Hopefully yours will be in by the end of the week. I work 12 hr shifts also. 4 on 4 off, 2 weeks days then 2 weeks graves. This works great for me because I can get everything ready the night before and not jerk myself out of sleep. Best of all, I don't need a microwave.

Hey, Dallas. Good loss! I may catch you though.:s: I just weighed in today and I'm at 202(14 lbs. in two weeks). I checked my Monitor today and I burned 2000 calories in one 12 hour shift. This training is LITERALLY working my :censored: off and my jeans are starting to hang a little. However, I'm not experiencing any stomach trouble.

If that bread recipe works out be sure to post it on the 3FC recipe sticky. Just be sure to give credit where it is due. Love y'all. Gotta go I'm receiving pressure to get my youngun' to a concert.

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633441097064127500.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[deerol]

Hello all,

I just started this program last Thursday, and while I am not following it exactly (more like 4:2 instead of 5:1), it has definitely helped with getting me refocused on weight loss, as I was struggling with motivation for months.

Has anyone checked out their community boards? They have a section, called MyPlan that is great for logging food and exercise. I like not only the calorie consumed and expended chart, but also the graphs that tell you how many carbs, protein, etc you ate for the day.

Anyway, hope you don't mind that I just jumped in. Good luck today!

Hi! My name is Lauren and I am like you- I am a teacher, 5'1 and am 210 lbs. I am just wondering how your MF journey is going. I find it very limiting with the 5-1 plan and gthe veggies. I have been eating healthy since January and lost about 12 lbs by calorie counting and I have become accustomed to eating a lot of veggies! Now with MF, I feel like I am cheating myself with not getting enough. How do you do your modified MF plan (4-2). Do you split the one Lean and Green or have two of the same portion Lean and Green? How is it working for you? Thanks for any info!!!

[Operator265]

OK. No more child with "Let's Go." in my ear. I have two corrections. I looked at my bathroom notes and it was 204 for a loss of 12 lbs. Also, I burned 2500 calories at work today and I still have the evening to go.

Trouble is it will probably come to a sqreeching slow down when I try to quit smoking when I hit 190-195.:^: I've gained 20 lbs everytime I've quit before, and I just couldn't stand the thought of going to 240. I think with the MF in place I will do better. It may slow my metabolism for a week or two, but I don't think I'll be as likely to do the nervous eating replacement thing.

Welcome Lauren.:hug: MF has actually expanded my purchasing of veggies, but I REALLY miss having fruit. I love fruit.:T Somehow I manage to get by. Still, I kind of have angry thoughts towards the guys at work when they are eating a nice apple or orange.:bomb: Good thing for them that they know more about blowing stuff up than I do.:devil:

I tend to split my L&G up. I'll have 1/2 portion of chix on my salad and then either have the other 1/2 straight or get a 1/2 portion of another protein. Then, I save 1/2 c. of my veggies for my soup. If I have chix noodle soup I save my 1/2 c. of veggies for a snack after work. P.S. I really don't like the chix and rice no matter what I do.

Lili-Glad you know there are consequences but don't stroke out over .5 lb. You also got to enjoy a nice day out with your friends and got to see and learn new things. More importantly, you proved to yourself that you could handle it without going bonzo.:dizzy: And that(as Martha would say) is a good thing. We will all face challenges, and you did good.

Love y'all!!!:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633441097064127500.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Sneeks]

Thanks for the welcome guys!!

Looks like my package is due to arrive TODAY! . . Luckily Medifast ships out from about 50miles from me. I was planning on it arriving Friday I guess.

I don't plan on starting till Monday. I have to mentally prepare myself. I did it the same way with smoking (picked a set quit date) and it worked. I also planning on going to the wally world and picking up some things such as a lil grill (george foreman or something similar) and a couple shaker containers as well as a mini blender (magic bullet or something similar).

I am debating weather to work out or not. I haven't done any exercise for 2 months. Perhaps I should wait 2-3 weeks and slowly reintroduce working out again. I need to put this gym membership to use.

My brother and me are now having a competition. He is overweight (320lbs) as well. He is trying to watch what he eats, and no he doesn't calorie count. And he tries to work out, he goes to the gym and walks on a treadmill. He is so bashing me for trying Medifast. He is a nurse, he said it's really dangerous to go from eatting 2-3k calories to 800-1k calories. Also that Medifast should only be used for a month to get into the habit of better eatting. So I told him "it's on" and we're gonna have a competition as to who will lose more weight.

I had a talk with my husband last night about me ordering Medifast. He laughed a lil at first, I think the name threw him off. But I really think he understands. We don't have any kids, so this diet should be easy for me. He keeps telling me I look fine the way I am... but I know I don't look fine, I don't feel fine either. I've gained about 80lbs in the past 3 years. Quitting smoking accounts for about 40lbs of that. I love bubble baths and can hardly take them anymore. I'm sick of not being able to find cute clothing to wear. It really sucks that I just took a new job and spent around 2k on new clothing that probably won't fit me in about a month. All very businessy clothing, ugh.

Well I'm here ladies, and together we're gonna do this. If anyone wants to buddy with me on this, PM me.

[AliceEep]

Deerol, I decided to modify the plan as I felt going down to 800-1000 calories per day was just too low. I am over 300lbs, so while it is a medical necessity that I reduce my weight, I didn't want to harm my body more in the process.

So, I eat 2 L&G meals a day, averaging about 1400 calories. I try to keep my carb total under 100g. I'm still losing substantial weight...in fact I'm down 10lbs and I still have 2 more days before my first weigh-in, but I don't feel like I'm losing weight in an unhealthy manner (which probably doesn't make sense given this week's weight loss total). Today, day 5, is the first day I have felt good on this program and can honestly say I have a TON of energy (and no stomach problems)!

I recognize that the huge weight losses will not continue, and that is fine with me. I'm really happy that this program has allowed me to refocus and motivate me, something I haven't been able to do in months.

I think the focus on small, frequent meals, as well as lowish carbs, is a great plan for weight-loss.

And those orange creme shakes are to die for.

[Operator265]

Jen-I'm way happy to hear you're being realistic. It will save you alot of frustration in the future. When my job became more physical I was going to increase my L&G also. Fortunately I didn't have to. Whatever a person has to do to make the program work for them is the right thing to do.:)

Sneeks-MF recommends that if you're not already working out to wait for three weeks. They have an Excersize Guide you can get for free on-line. If you alredy work out cut back a little until you see how it is going. I didn't intend to work out but my job made a different decision for me. I really haven't suffered any ill consequences though. I know where your brother is coming from too. It's a little scary to lose 7-10 lbs. a week when most "Professionals" suggest 1-2 at the most. But, we are getting our vitamins and other nutrients through the MF plan. I did my research pretty thoroughly, and I haven't found any bad things about MF from those who understand it. I only hear negative comments from those who "think" it doesn't sound right but haven't investigated it.

Well, I just got another drink thermos for my cream soups. I found I can take them to work with me as long as I blend them first. Problem is that it creates too much foam to fit in my soup thermos. I guess I'll just treat it like another hot drink. I also got some ankle weights to use when I'm back on haul truck. I really don't want to lose the energy I've gained these last couple of weeks when I return to sitting on my butt all shift. I can just do leg and arm lifts when I'm waiting at the shovels. Maybe I can even do modified crunches in my seat.:?: I definately will need to tighten things up with all this loss or I will turn into a big ol' sagging mess.:barf:

Well, good luck all.
:grouphug:
http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633444119372416250.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I splurged last night and bought a heart rate monitor in preparation for exercising, since my three week-a-versary is coming up. Operator, you inspired me to get one, so thank you!

It's a Polar F6. I read a lot of posts raving about the F4 and found the F6 on Amazon.com. It has some extras that the F4 doesn't have for only $20 more and I thought it was a pretty good deal. I should get it tomorrow...free expedited shipping is great! I'm getting really excited about working out now and that's a first!

I thought about getting a personal trainer from my gym, but with the cost of MF, my horrible kitchen remodel, and now the heart monitor, I decided to put it off for a while. Maybe next month...

Anybody have any suggestions about working out? When I used to go to the gym I would do the elliptical and treadmill mostly, with a few weight machines thrown in to tone up (alternating days with lower body and upper body). But basically, I have no idea what to do once I start...besides starting slow.

[Operator265]

Lili-Congrats on your purchase.:dancer: I think you'll get alot of encouragement from it. I went with the cheaper one because I don't have to wear the chest strap with it. That would have been inconvenient with the work I'm doing. Mine doesn't give a continuous heart rate. Instead it calculates based on my last reading. But even at getting an estimate, it is a real eye opener.:eek:

It seems to me that the elliptical and treadmill would be a good start for a couple of weeks then start adding weights in slowly. Have you gotten the MF Excercise Guide yet. It would be really helpful. Most gyms I've been to have regular staff around that can help you out. I'm glad you're excited, but I'll give you the same warning my ex gave me. Take it easy at first and don't overdo.:nono: You could either burn out or get hurt, both of which will put an end to it quickly.:(

Keep up the good vibes Sweetie.
:hug:
http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633444119372416250.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Operator265]

Hey y'all. :bomb: I am an official blaster.:bomb: I made it thru the training. We have a program at work that counts steps taken in a day. Most of the guys on our blast crew do 15,000 to 20,000 a day!!!(Y'all may know I use a h/r monitor instead because pedometors are useless.):blah: As a driver I was getting about 500 steps a day. I hope I'm able to work on blast crew on day shifts. 1) I use more of my mind in the job. 2) I use alot more physical energy. Plus,I burn about 3000 calories a day.:jig: But--- I did go out for celebration of graduation after work.:s: Hey, I've made it clear, this program is to help ME controL my life, not let the progam control me.

I had my fun!! But, now it's back to what matters.

My girls are doing well and I've had a night for me. So, tomorrow I'll be back on track. I have one day off then I'm working overtime for the next three days, so I know I'll be tired. Please, please, please be here for me, chickies, in the coming week. I think I'm really going to need your support, love and encouragement.

Thanks for being here.

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633444119372416250.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Wimsey]

Hello Medifasters!!!

I have been totally and completely on plan...................and it's my first day and I've on my second MF meal.

Can I just say how much I love, love, LOVE the orange creme shake? Maybe because I was so excited this morning after sorting all my food last night - I love the idea of arranging my food just so.

Now I am eating blueberry oatmeal at work - not SO yum, but not so bad. I also have cream of broc soup and hot choc for the day, then my L&G of salmon and salad, then chix noodle before bed. Whew!

I am "saving" my bars for day 4 - by then it will seem like a treat.

All these posts are very exciting to read - and now I get to put some of the best hints into action!

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

:welcome3: Wimsey! Medifast is great and I know you'll love it! Good luck and if you have any questions, ask away! The oatmeals aren't my favorites either. I usually have to add Splenda and sometimes a dash of cinnamon to mine to make them edible. And I've never microwaved them after the first time when it turned out as a bowl of goo. Nasty!

Thanks Operator! I do plan to start out slow and see how I feel. I'm nervous about the whole "starvation" mode thing and worried exercising will stall my weight loss, but I've got to tone up! And I figure if I do it long enough my body will get the idea and start dropping pounds.

Keep strong the next few days! Overtime is a drag, but hopefully the time will go by fast for you and we'll definitely be here for you! :hug:

So, today was my third weigh in. I dropped 0.5 lbs. :carrot: Why am I happy about such a tiny loss? TOM came a week early, so actually any loss is a really good thing! I usually gain anywhere between 2-5 lbs during TOM, so I was really excited to see any loss this week at all! That also partially explains the 0.5 lbs I gained after the renaissance festival I went to last weekend. I know the wine and pretzel didn't help, though. (And, yes, this will be the last time I mention the wine & pretzel. I sound like I'm obsessing about them.)

When I went to log my loss in my signature I realized I messed up my weights last week and had to go back and take off 0.5 lbs. That was kind of depressing. Oh, well...here's to next week and hopefully more loss!

[Operator265]

Welcome Wimsey!!! I'm not an oatmeal lover either. I make muffins out of them on my days off and keep them in the fridge so I can eat them without making ugly faces. It's also easier to eat while I'm getting ready for work.

I don't think the drinks last night hurt. I'm at 200. I'm also going to take tomorrow off to get some stuff done with my girls and to get stuff I need for work. I like the OT checks, but I have to maintain balance in my life. Besides, I still get the extra day Sunday. Trying to find steel toed work boots in women's sizes in this town is ridiculous. I have one more store to go, then I give up.

I'm not getting on the treadmill today in order to give my worn out body a rest, but tomorrow I hope to do 30 min. at least. That's how I think I'm going to work it to begin with. I'll take my first day off from work as a total rest day. Then do 30 min. of walking adding incline every week or two for the next month. After I get feeling strong there, I'll add weight training.:jig:

Good luck girlies. Keep up the faith!!

:grouphug:
http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

Many people seem to dislike the oatmeal. I don't mind it at all, although I always add more water (to all the products, not just the oatmeal), which makes it more soupy and not gooey at all. Maybe because I don't mind unsweetened oatmeal? I'm afraid if I make the muffins, I will eat them all at once.

My least favorite food is the vanilla shake, but as soon I meet my first goal (15 more lbs), I'm going to orders some of those Capella flavor drops advertised on the medifast site. I'm thinking coconut shakes would be better...

I just made the best dinner..tomato basil veggie burgers stir-fried with spinach. Simple, but really tasty.

I have next week off of work; I am slightly worried that more free time will equal more time to nosh. Usually week vacations = weight gain. I hope to break that pattern this week.

[Operator265]

Jen--You should post the recipe for those burgers on the recipe sticky. I think I'ld like to try it.

thanks

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

Oh, I'm not that creative, lol. They were the Morningstar veggie burgers. Very tasty they are!

[SweetP]

Welcome newbies! There are some great recipes out there - both here and on the medifast site. Pretty much any of the products can be made into something yummy :)

Hang in there - it gets easier if you want it badly enough :^: and before you know it, the weight is melting off :carrot:

[abovethedin]

Hi all,

Just wanted to throw out my .02 about the oatmeal. When I began MF, I couldn't choke down the oatmeal but knew I had to at least suck it up for one month until I could order again. I started adding a cup of water and heating it in the micro for at least 2 minutes no more than 3 minutes, then let it sit for about another 3 or so. It makes the oatmeal creamy and now it has become one of my favorites.

Jen

[Operator265]

Jen-Thanks for the idea.:hug: I'll get some of the Veggie Burgers today and I didn't even think of stirfrying. I'll have to get a cookbook at Barnes and Noble. I was there last night looking for one on tying knots and ran into a book called Tai Chi in a Chair. I'm hoping it will help me out when I'm stuck on trucks.:dz: It has some 15 min. routines I could do on my lunch break. I could even do the 1 hour routine when something goes down and we have to sit around for awhile. Also, don't be to afraid of the muffins. There a little better, but not that fantastic.:^: And I like regular unsweetened oatmeal too. I only use the Splenda when I cook. I've had the same little 2 lb. bag of sugar in my house for about 2 years now.

Alice-Hang tough girl. I kinda understand since I'm on 2 days off. Yesterday I went shopping at a store way out of my neighborhood. I had to eat there, but I got a venisen brat(no bun) and mushrooms to try to stay on plan. It worked out, but seeing all the other stuff and the smell was a bit of a nuisence. I made sure to hurry up and get the hell out of there fast.

Well, keep up the good work.

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I am absolutely loving my HRM! The chest strap is really pretty comfortable, I barely even noticed I have it on. One of the reasons I went with this brand was so it would communicate with the machines at the gym and I wouldn't have to hold on to the metal thingies all the time. I was so nice today to be able to take a rest from the handlebars on the elliptical without the machine beeping at me every 30 seconds! I also wore it this morning to check out how much of a workout I get from Wii Sports, and that was really neat.

Be careful when shopping for veggie burgers. I got some Garden Burgers and didn't realize that the kind I got was too high in carbs, so now they are sitting in the freezer getting freezer burned. Hopefully they'll still be good during transition. I really like the Boca All American flame broiled kind. The texture isn't quite like a Garden Burger, but they still taste really good, and you can have 3 of them!

Yeah, the texture of the oatmeal gets to me, but I think it's the taste more than anything that I don't like. Even if the textures is good, (which I can get it pretty good with almost boiling water) I still have to choke it down unless it's got a bit of splenda and extra cinnamon in it. And I have to agree with Operator, that while the muffins a bit better, it's still not anything like a real muffin.

I can't seem to get them to bake right either. They look all puffy and toasty on top, but when I remove them from the oven they immediately deflate and I'm left with a "bowl". They look like inverted muffins or something and they are still raw and gooey in the middle. I've tried cooking them longer, shorter, highter temps, lower temps...still the same results. How do your guys' come out? I've cooked some of them too long where the tops are nearly burned, but still are gooey in the middle. Have any tips to get mine to look, if not normal "puffed up" kind of muffin, to be at least cooked through?

[Operator265]

Hey Lili Darlin'. I wish I would have looked at the box on the Veggie burgers too. But my girls can eat the garden burgers and I can have the originals.;) I also got some Crumbles for stirfry and chili if I get some. My next five week order is on the way. I hope there is some chili and crab soup in it. If not I may order them separately.

My burgers just came out of the oven. DANG!!! There pretty good.:cp: The flavor will be good for mixing too.

Don't know what to tell you about the muffins. I'm in Salt Lake so I'm about 1000-2000 feet higher than you are. Mine come out kind of like baked dough balls, but at least they go down a little better than as oatmeal.:^:

I'm glad the HRM is working out. Still loving mine.

Thanx for all the help Chickies.

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

MF recommends veggie burgers have 6 carbs/burger. The tomato basil have 7 each. I only found one other flavor that had the 6 carbs...maybe the griller? I can't recall. Some of them are definitely higher, but the one extra carb/burger still allows you to fall in their 80-100 carbs per day.

I'll try and be a little more careful on what I recommend, since I am not following the plan 100% as stated. Sorry to have misled you Operator.

[Operator265]

Oh Chickiepoo. No Problem.:hug: I'm not stroking over the little stuff. We all have to be sure to do our own watching. We are all just a bunch of human beings trying to help each other out. Besides, you led me in a good direction. And, like I said, I have two girls who can eat my mistakes.:D I LOVE the MorningStar Originals and the Crumbles meet the guidelines. In fact, I'm heading to a real grocery store in a few minutes to see what else is available.:dizzy:

I just did my weekly muffin baking. I only had 4 packets of peach oatmeal left so I supplemented with 1 maple and brown sugar. This time I used a mini muffin pan. I think it worked out. I had to kind of pile it up, but, they look a little more like muffins. Fortunately, they don't rise in the oven. I can't have one today, but the little bit of scraping on the spoon I used to get them out tasted pretty good.:cool: Hopefully, the smaller area of the mini pan will help them cook better. They still felt kind of heavy, though. I just don't think there will be anything that can be done about it. Like I said, at least they're more tolerable than straight oatmeal.:barf:

Love y'all!!!

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Operator265]

Yep, I'm back again. I have a recipe and I'ld like to see what y'all think. I call it Cheesy Beefy Taco Tomato Soup.

1 packet Tomato Soup
2/3 cup Morning Star Meal Starter Crumbles
1-2 tsp. Taco Seasoning
1 ounce 2% Cheddar Cheese

Mix Seasoning and Crumbles together and Microwave for 1 min. Mix tomato soup as usual in blender. Add Cheese and Crumble Mixture and give a couple quick shots in blender(just enough to melt the cheese and mix, but not tear up, the Crumbles).
-------
The Crumbles and cheese together come out almost dead even with 1 MS Original Burger(I think because they use egg white to hold the burger together). You actually need the cheese to keep your protein level up. So this would come out to 1/2 portion of protein per day,1 MF Meal and 1 additional fat.

Next time I may try to fry the Crumbles a little just to give it some crunch. Tell me what you think.:?:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633447329180853750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

Operator, I haven't seen the crumbles before. Are they with the other garden burger varieties?

Sounds intriguing...

[Operator265]

Yeah, they were right by the other Morning Star Products. Also, I figure you could chop up an original burger up for the recipe, just take the cheese out or adjust for the added fat and carbs.

[Wimsey]

I made it through my first Medifast weekend - 6 pounds down! And I know it's not just water-eight because I'm drinking almost 100 oz (and loving the hydration, but not all the bathroom time - although we are potty training our DS 2.5 yrs so he and I are having quite the quality pee-pee time).

Whew!

[Operator265]

Way to go kiddo!!!:bravo: Feels good doesn't it. Today was my weigh-in day. I'm at 198 and thrilled.:dancer: Keep up the good work darling.:hug: It can keep feeling better.:dance:

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633450156890933750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[mommy23monkeys]

Hi. I am new here. Starting MF for the 2nd time.
first time I simply lost interest and then got pg shortly after. ds is now 10 months old, no longer bf'ing so I broke out the MF today.
:cool:
I have enough to make it a few days. I bought a new variety pack, so hopefully it will come in in time.
I have about 75lbs to lose. I would love to stay on MF to lose it all. I would love to hear from some long time users.
On another subject, how do you get a ticker?
Look forward to getting to know you all better.
BTW, anyone have nagging headache for the 1st few days? I'm hoping it goes away after a few days. Don't remember it from the 1st time.

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

That's awesome Wimsey! :congrat:

Operator, congrats your loss too! You are now in "Onederland" as they say! :woohoo:

mommy23monkeys, you get to add a signature after you've been registered on the site for 30 days, or have made 30 posts. (They say 30 days AND 30 posts, but I got mine after a week or so because I'd made 30 posts. I don't know if that was a mistake, but I'll take it!! :)) Good luck and if you need any support, we're always here!

Edit: Yeah...I'm a little brain dead today...you can add the ticker from the User Control Panel. You can either build it there or on TickerFactory.com. There is also a thread in the Announcements and Forum Help that explains it in detail.

I had a headache on day two and three. Tylenol, aspirin, Excedrin...nothing worked. Midmorning the next day I recognized it as a carb-withdrawal headache from previous experience with Atkins & South Beach...so I ate a Medifast bar since it had more carbs. It went away almost immediately. I don't know if this will work for you, but you might try a MF meal that has more carbs or eating a veggie with your L&G that has more carbs, but still stay within the recommended 80g-100g of carbs a day MF recommends. The headache, if it is a carb-withdrawal headache, should go away once your body gets used to the lower carb level.

[Operator265]

Holy crap! My computer has been brain dead all morning.:mad:

Thanks Lili! I'm happy to be in "onederland" again.:dizzy:

M23M-I got my ticker off the Medifast website. It takes me awhile to figure stuff out since I'm just learning to "net". In fact, this is my first chatting experience. I really like it, but, I still need alot of help from my 14 year old. I'm not sure about the long-term users. Hopefully, someone will check in soon. I think they kind of get bored with the chatting after awhile. As with most other things, Newbies are generally more excited, and I think we get to be a bother. Oh, well. I've been in both positions before so you just deal with it.:s:

Wimsey-Boy do I understand tinkle time.;) At work I'm constantly trying to find a pickup or some other piece of equipment to hide behind. The guys are pretty understanding, though, and have learned to make some kind of noise to send a warning before they go around something without knowing where I am first.:o I do the same for them. The boss has also let me know that there is no problem with me taking a pickup to go somewhere else if I need to.

I'm trying to get a real good guy at work to give this a try. He came up with about 5 different excuses, but I was prepared for each of them. He has alot of health and age issues, but I still think he could benefit from this. I just hope he will give it a chance. He's been really good to me and has a great wife who I think would like to have him around awhile longer. I'll just have to keep being a pest. Maybe he'll try it just to get me off his :censored:.

Hang tough y'all and we'll get to where we want to be.

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633450156890933750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Sneeks]

Today is day 2 for me.

How the heck can you eat the soups and oatmeals, UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

I know, right!?!

I hated the soups at first too. I got cream of chicken and chili with my first two week order. I had to doctor them up with veggies and bouillon to eat them. I will never like the cream of chicken, so I didn't buy it last time and got more chili, and added vegetable beef and chicken noodle. I can eat the chili now without any add ins and think it's pretty darn good! I love the vegetable beef and chicken noodle. I guess after the COC, anything tastes good! :lol:

I've said it before, but I have to put Splenda and cinnamon in my oatmeal or I won't finish it. I sometimes eat the oatmeal cold with Splenda and cinnamon in it. I don't put as much water in and let it sit for a while to get soft. I also will mix it with the chocolate pudding, split in half and eat that. Baked, it makes a passable brownie. I'm going to try this tonight for my brownies:


Brownies:
1 MF Chocolate Pudding
1 MF Oatmeal (I'm out of Maple & brown sugar, so I'm using Apple Cinnamon)
1 Splenda packet
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/3 cup water

Topping:
1 Tbsp of low-fat cream cheese
Splenda packet
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix the brownies like you would muffins and put in muffin tins, or in a baking pan as you would normal brownies. Top each brownie with 1/4 of the topping mixture. (Yield: 4 brownies; 2 MF Meals; 1 1/2 condiments per serving.)

I haven't tried it yet. I've made the brownies before, but I was thinking of something to top them with. Cream cheese brownies are sooooo good, I though it might be something to give it a little zip.

Edit: If they turn out good, I'll post the recipe in the recipe sticky.

[mommy23monkeys]

Hello all.
MF and circumstances beyond my control have left me in a bit of a funk!
Had to make my 45 min commute for a 2 hour class this morning.
TV repair guy from Best Buy was suppose to call while I was in the class, but he called my house, so now I have to wait until Saturday. (really not a huge deal, but annoying, their fault, and they are like, oh well).:mad:
Took MF shake with me to my parents to pick up youngest after class, before I could use the hand blender I spilled it all over the kitchen counter. It was orange, one of my favs, and I only have a limited supply right now. sure hope the shipment comes soon.
I have had 2 MF meals in last 3 hours and my stomach is growling and my head is pounding!!! Have taken 2 excedrin. Now I get to go to the revenue office and pay state sales taxes on a new to us van. Oh the joy life hands us some days!!!:dizzy:
Thanks for listening. I am a total gripe butt when I am hungry. I know this will get better, I just hope I make it until it does!:(
On the positive side, I have lost 5lbs! :carrot:(water I'm sure, but at this point I'll take it!)

[Operator265]

Chix and Rice is gross. I can't stand it.:snooty: Unless I find something to do with it, I'll never get it again. COT I mix with MorningStar Crumbles, Taco Seasoning and Cheese. VegBeef I put a portion of Veggies in. COB recipe on medifast recipes website. I'm fine with the Chix Noodle as is. All of them are made up and kept in a thermos between 1-4 hours to rehydrate. No longer or they could become explosive. I forgot to eat one at work and the next day an explosion went off in my living room. The soup had blown the lid off my thermos.:fr: Yesterday, I decided to wait to have it after work and when I opened the lid it smelt and tasted funny.:barf: I also mix the cream soups in the blender before I put it in the thermos or it just sets up like paste.

I make muffins out of the Oatmeals. That recipe is also on www.medifast-recipes.com. I used a mini-muffin pan this week and it worked much better than the large pan. I am definately trying your brownie recipe, Lili. That sounds really good.:T

:grouphug:

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633450156890933750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[Operator265]

M23M-I'm so sorry Sweetie. These hugs are special just for you.:hug::hug::hug: Those days will come and go. You can see mine under the Torturous Day thread. I also didn't trust my first ten lbs. But, now I'm down 18 lbs. and fully believing. Hang tough and you'll make it.

http://www.mymedifast.com/Medifast/Ticker/Ticker/633450156890933750.tiff (http://www.medifast1.com)

[AliceEep]

It is crazy how we all differ in our tastes!

I LOVE the oatmeal. Of course, I make it really soupy, so maybe that is why. The soups are just ok...I think of it as fuel and it helps me tolerate them a little better. Of all the soups, the chicken and rice soup was the one I liked the best.

Yesterday was my first day I binged on this plan. I don't know why, either. I woke up hungry and tried my best to stay on plan, which I did until about 10pm, at which time I made some rice. Rice! Today I woke up and its like I never had that episode...no problems staying on plan today. So odd.

I am going to order a larger shipment this month (going to use some of that rebate money, lol) and get some of my favorites so that I don't panic at the end of next month.

Has anyone tried the Chili or Maryland Crab soups or the Smores, Peanut Butter, or Fruit/Granola bars?

[Operator265]

My next 5 week order is due on the 5th. I also have a list of 10 things I want to try including all the things you mentioned, Jen. I'm going to wait until the order gets here and see what I get, then I'll place an addtional order for the stuff I don't get. I'll be interested to here everyone else's thoughts on the items also.:listen:

Thanks for the help Lili. I just got my signature thru 3FC. Oops, I guess mine was "illegal".:o Good thing I only used it on this site, so I guess that's not really too bad.

[Uniqleeme]

Hi there, :D

I am new to the forum and to MF. I have everything and am going to be starting the program May 1st, doing it with co-workers.

I am starting to really get scared. I am creating doubt in my ability to do this...

Anything that I should know to make my first few days easier- please share. I am going to go through the motions like a good little dieter, but what if I start going crazy for carbs, or sugar...food! :devil: So Scared, I have let my weight creep up to the unthinkable. I need to do this! :^:

[mommy23monkeys]

Uniqleeme,
Hi there. Not sure of what I could tell you to make it easier, as I am in the "throws" of it now.

I have used orange soda (diet, of course) and diet chocolate fudge soda to mix my shakes. When I did this plan the 1st time I found diet cream soda to mix with the vanilla. This helps with flavor. With soups, I have found that cooking on stove and carrying in thermos greatly improves flavor, consisitency. Also, all need herbs spices. Oatmeal is just ok with splenda and cinammon. The pb bars are edible. Not sure if they still do s'mores bars, as all my prods are over a year old, but s'mores bars are nasty! There are few things that people agree on, though. I think something is gross and you may like it.

Also, just expect to not feel too great the 1st few days. Eat every 3 hours, or suffer the consequences-read headache from :devil::censored::devil:.
Be prepared for your lean and green. Have your grocery shopping complete before you are ready to prepare meal.

Good luck. Support is key. Rely on your co-workers and this site. Look to both for help. Be sure you are doing this for the right reasons, and keep your attitude positive. Believing you can make it just one more day will get you through. I am on day 3, it has been hard, but I have lost 7lbs.

[Operator265]

Uni-I thought I would start on days off but my schedule suddenly changed and I wound up starting on a work day. I think it was providence working, because it seems to have made it easier to keep my mind off it and set in regular break times in which to eat. I'm glad you're doing it with coworkers. Mine were offering me other food until I told them I was on a regulated diet, then they understood I wasn't being rude, but not to offer their extras to me. That helped too.

Good luck Sweetie. If you need us we'll be here for you.

[Uniqleeme]

Hi,

Thanks so much for the support and M23 I can understand where you are in this- I will be there with you soon. :hug: 7 lbs is great motivation!

I just keep telling myself how strong of a person I am and that I can do this.

Operator 265-how long have you been MF-ing? Sounds like you are going strong :angel:

Well by this time tommorrow I will come let you all know if I can stand myself anymore...wish me luck!

[LiLi Gettin Thin]

Hi Uniqleeme! :welcome3: It's okay to be scared, I was terrified that I was flushing my money down the toilet when I ordered, but I did anyway and I'm so glad! I know it's different for everybody, but after the first few days MF is really easy! Well, for the most part...I'll explain below. And I agree with AliceEep about the headaches. Be sure to eat every 2-3 hours and if you do get a headache a bit of a higher carb MF meal may help some. Also, just take it one day at a time and if you need any motivation, we'll be here to help you along..and it's good you've got support in your fellow Medifasters at work. That should help a lot!

Operator, I read about your dog on another thread. I'm so sorry! I'll be thinking of him tonight and hoping he's doing better! :hug: Hang in there sweetie! Don't worry about the burrito...sometimes you just have to forget about your diet and focus on things that are more important, and your dog being sick is definitely one of those times. :hug:

I think today has been a doozie for a lot of people. :( A friend called me earlier nearly in tears. My bf just came home from work and seems to be in a bad mood...and I know for sure my day was pretty crappy. I had nightmares all last night so I was dead tired all day. I'm between projects at work, so I didn't have anything to do all day, until about 30 minutes before I was supposed to leave. I got an urgent request to update a website and ended up having to work two hours over. :mad: Also, TOM came last Monday, as I think I said in another post...well it lasted the normal amount of time of 3-4 days...then yesterday guess what? TOM came AGAIN!!!! :mad: This time with really bad cramps and was really heavy! URG!!! (Sorry if that's TMI.) To top it all off...I had menstrual munchies really bad and ate a few things I shouldn't have. I tried to work them off at the gym and I'm crossing my fingers that I didn't get out of ketosis.

Anyway...tomorrow is a new day. I hope it's better than today! :grouphug: