I have tried everything from MRC, WW, phentermine and the list goes on. I have over 80 pounds I need to loose to get healthy again. I was so small 20 years ago but 3 sons later and a desk job where I sit 10 hours a day has just helped me pour on the weight.

I start my Medifast journey tomorrow. My food will be here today and I am excited yet at the same time worried. I read so many posts from those who just don't like much of the food and I am about as picky of an eater as they get. I really want this program to work. I dropped about 30 pounds last year over 3 months time from phenermine out of desperation and as many do....I gained all of it plus 10 back! Any tips and words of encouragement would be so appreciated. I just turned 40 2 weeks ago and before this date I told myself I didn't want to enter into my 40's with this weight...hence I am still here. I am hoping I can get rid of much of this before I get out of my 40th year. My oldest graduates from high school next year and I want to be able to where a dress that day.

Something to think about before you start might be "why is this time different? What made me stop doing the other methods and what will keep me on plan this time? What is my back up plan for if I start to slip? What supports do I have in place that I didn't before?"

Good luck!

My husband and I have made a commitment together. He does not have the weight to loose at all but would like to train to get more fit. He drinks almost 2-2 liters of soda a day!!!! He is kicking this habit as well. I am so proud of him. He is on day 3 and doing great! I think before now I have always wanted the quick fix but ended up with a quick fix and a quick return. I am motivated this time and ready for the challenge.

Welcome, LaRee!

I can tell you that Medifast has taught me just how mental losing weight is. I thought I would be starving on so few calories. When I wasn't, something started to click. This has so much more to do with my head than my stomach.

You may not like all the food at first. Go ahead and add some seasoning, or hot sauce, or cocoa powder. My theory is that I'm going to be at this for a long time (already 13 months), so I'm not sweating the condiments. I need to do what I can to stay with the program, and if that means an extra tablespoon of salsa, so be it. Your taste buds adapt after a couple weeks too, so the food starts tasting better.

Another mental trick I use is if I'm really hungry, I tell myself I'm allowed the optional extra snack, or a 6th MF meal. Sometimes I'll even set it out and look at it. By giving myself permission to have it, I can think about whether I need it or not - and sometimes the answer is NOT.

Someone else here said that motivation may fade, but if you make a commitment to losing weight, honor your commitment when you're lacking motivation.

Good luck - you CAN do it!

You can absolutely do this.

For a lot of people I think there comes a time when you're trying to lose weight where something clicks. Sometimes it's like fiddling around with a combination lock until you happen to land on all the right numbers. Aha! THIS works for me.

And as difficult as it may seem, that's all you have to do. You find what works for you and you stick with it. And the same thing doesn't work for everyone. Just click around this board, it seems like everybody's doing something different. There's no one way, and there's no "right" way, it's just whatever works for you.

I read somewhere on this board "The 'best' plan is whichever one you'll do" and I like to keep that in mind whenever I feel like tapping out on Medifast. I'm doing it, it's working, I'm stickin' to it.

You can, too.

So stick around, there are several of us on here going through some of the same things. Riddy is like the MF guru and has provided a lot of people with a lot of sound advice and encouragement. She has been sticking with it and has had great success just keepin' at it.

If all you need is the occasional reminder, come post here. We're all here to back each other up. Any time.

Aww, thanks Bones!

I'm just so happy to find something that's really working for me, and I want to share what I've learned if it will help someone else. Plus I've been at it for 13 months, so I've had lots of time to experiment.

I was so scared to try Medifast - it took 4 friends having success, and 2 of their personal physicians too, before I would try it. I honestly thought I would be STARVING, and then pass out from hypoglycemia.

You guys help me, too! You remind me how it felt to be nervous and excited at the beginning, and then the rush when the pounds start coming off faster then you've ever lost before. Although I'm losing slower than a year ago, I'm STILL LOSING, and that's what's important. I'm still learning how to eat, so it's probably a good thing I'm not done losing yet.

to all of you - we can do it! We ARE doing it!

Thanks so much for the encouraging words. I will keep you posted on how I do. I hope this is the answers to my prayers. I want to drop this weight in the worst way!

Well I had my first meal this morning. A chocolate shake of some sort. I did what many said and I let it sit for about a half hour before I drank it. Not bad! Visual is everything to me and it does not look real pretty but I poured it in a glass and drank it with a straw and had no trouble drinking this at all! I did try the pretzels last night.....SUPER YUCK!! I did not like these and hope that the rest of the food is nothing like it. I will have a bar mid morning and sloppy joes at lunch and then another bar mid afternoon and a healthy evening meal....lean and green. Any thoughts on the sloppy joes...do you like them or hate them? Do you like the shakes as well? This was pretty easy for me to drink and hope that the rest of the plan is not so bad.

I like the shakes, but I got a little tired of them over the winter; maybe I'll go back to them now that the weather is warming up. I mix them with several ice cubes and my stick blender. If you have a bullet or ninja, that would work too.

You can make the soft serve or pudding as shakes, too. They will be thicker than the "regular" shakes.

I love the sloppy joe. I add some roasted red peppers and sun dried tomatoes, or sometimes dill pickle relish.

I eat the pretzels with a wedge of Laughing Cow lite swiss. Makes them much better. Make the shake with ice in a blender after it sits awhile. Makes it thicker too.