A HUGE welcome to you both. Congrats on starting and re-starting MF.
SW ~
I read many of your past post well before I starting MF last September. I so know the need to have an active group as well as a place to come for some accountability. Although I am at goal right now, this board reminds me where I started and where I am today. I still need the accountability.
MF is a great tool for weight loss AND with an active board it really brings the process together. I know it did for me.
So quiet around here!!! Well, I'm doing okay. I had a gain this weekend, but I don't think it was all from pushing the carb boundaries (which I did do, but not nearly as cavalierly as I did in June) rather, I did up my running intervals to 5 minutes and added weights to my strength training. I'm hoping the scale is just being picky because I have been trying on smaller clothes and they are getting there. I'm definitely in the size 20 range (from a plus-24 when I started - as in, I was squeezing into my 24 clothes and refusing to increase size) and was able to squeeze into 18 jeans. I dropped off a huge bag of size 22-24 clothes and bought some smaller tops. I even re-donated the black skinny jeans that I bought last time because they were falling off me. I couldn't find 20 black jeans, so I bought the 18s hoping to fit into them sooner than later. As I said earlier, I was able to get them on and closed, so there's progress....
I also joined an online challenge called Amerithon where you virtually walk/run/bike/swim across America for a total of over 3500 miles. It will take me a long time but they give you a cool medal shaped like the US with pieces that fit in as you complete the sections of the map. Some of the registration funds go towards a charity that supports the family members of the fallen (soldiers, police and other first responders). The registration also included a nice t-shirt and a passport with milestone stickers. I like the idea of my daily step distances adding up to something.
I registered for my first 5k in a couple years, it's a 9/11 Heroes run to support the Travis Manion Foundation, so I have to focus on my training more than ever if I want to succeed in running 5k all the way through (with my walking breaks of course).
Hopefully the scale will start to register my progress and not be a beacon of discouragement as I build up my strength and stamina for my adventures ahead.
Thanks, Karen! My motivation has always been to be able to get back to being active, so planning events for which I have to train is paramount for me.
Here's an issue I'm dealing with currently. As I close in at almost 60lbs down, I'm starting to get the "you look great! good job!" as if I'm at the completion of the loss part of my journey. I usually thank them and then say I'm not even halfway done which they really don't have an answer to other than, "well you're doing great". It's SO tempting to pause my journey and be this size but I know that I'm at the gateway where it could be reversed at any minute.
For those who are at goal and have lost a bunch, what was your strategy for getting through the 'good enough' phase to get to the finish line?
I used my many years of my weight loss struggle as my guide to not letting that "good enough" get in my head. I stopped short with five other diets about 30 lbs before goal...and then put it back in less than it took me to lose the first 50lbs.
It is a slippery slope no matter how I looked at it. IF you stop short of your goal then the mind games begin like..."well I lost 50 lbs so I can have a weekend and eat whatever I want". Nope. It just sets me up to fail.
Accept the compliments of where you are at now and use them to make you more determined to keep going. Don't sell yourself short of the finish line. Keep pushing to get there. You'll be glad you did.
This topic really speaks to me. I was also getting closer to my goal than ever and I feel my willpower slipping. It's not completely gone but I have teetered on the edge and pulled back a few times. I am now about 2 lbs over my low weight and am working hard to get back on track. I don't want to let all this work slip away. Summer is just hard for me because we do so many social things and live in a resort like area on the weekends where its one big vacation mentality. I try extra hard during the week to eat wisely.
My husband is still recovering from shoulder surgery and although he has changed his eating habits, it feels like he always eating. He has gained about 7 lbs back of the 50 he lost. I need to really get on the straight and narrow to make it and stay at the finish line. Water and a MF pancake for me this morning!
Thanks ladies! I needed to hear your thoughts. Yesterday I took the afternoon off (worked all weekend so I was needing some down time) and I went to Old Navy to check it out. I saw online that they go up to size 20 and I ended up buying a couple of t-shirts, a cute peasant shirt (swingy and fun), and a fitted crew-neck tee dress. I tried everything on when I got home and it all fit perfectly! It was so fun to be able to shop in a 'regular' store this early into my journey. I'm also really aware that size 20 is not considered regular, but it was still a positive reinforcement.
It took all week for me to lose the gain from last weekend, and I'm NOT doing that again!! I worry about going into a period of losing during the week and gaining it all back over the weekend. This is not progress!!
Have a great weekend everyone!! Onward and downward!!
It took all week for me to lose the gain from last weekend, and I'm NOT doing that again!! I worry about going into a period of losing during the week and gaining it all back over the weekend. This is not progress!!
Laura ~
This is such a vicious cycle and so easy to do on MF because you can drop weight quickly when you get back on plan 100% -- but you are so right that this is NOT progress!!
Sheila & Laura ~
This was exactly my same struggle for a bit with a diet prior to MF. Since I am quite frugal the guilt of wasting all that money on diet food during the week and then blowing it on the weekend kicked in gear for me. It is a mental challenge just as much as it is a physical one.
One thing that is really helping me right now it being mindful of getting a good amount of exercise. Us menopausal gals really get hit with the much slower metabolism and if we're not exercising it slows down even more. I have recently enlisted the help of a personal trainer to help me get into a good work-out routine along with maintaining a good eating plan. As much as I "think" I've got this maintenance part down....I don't. Enlisting the help of a personal trainer will be another tool to use to keep me at goal and has re-motivated me to not lose my way. It is easy to do that after a year of dieting.
No matter where we each are in the weight loss journey IT IS HARD! Being in maintenance for several months now I had previously thought would be the easy part...it has really become somewhat harder for me in these last few weeks. As Sheila mentioned I think summer has been abnormally harder with summer activities, my kids on summer break, extra bbq's and such keep me having to make many more food choices that I usually do.
Thank you both for your generous time in continuing to stay active on this board. It really helps me to know I can talk about where I am at personally with this dieting stuff knowing you completely understand.
This is the first weekend I have no social plans so I'm thrilled I won't have to navigate past so much food that is not on plan
Hard to believe it has been almost a month since I last checked in here. I've been scrolling through the thread to see what I've missed and it looks like everyone is making great progress! Great job, ladies!
Thank you TWINCA for showing me how to add all the fun features to my signature! I'm all about those dancing carrots!
I hit my first goal on June 29 when I reached 190. I'm now squarely in the middle of the 180s at 186.5. This is where I started the last time I did Medifast.
Right now I'm really struggling with staying away from summer fruits. I just love peaches, plums, and berries. I've had a couple of peaches over the course of this week and to mitigate the damage, I skipped a Medifast meal on those days. I know it's not a good thing to do, but I cannot let the summer go by without having any of these farm fresh fruits. The counselors at my local Medifast center always tell me, 'Be kind to yourself,' so I am comfortable with this decision.
I've been trying to occupy myself more with other activities--painting, bingo, and of course shopping. My secret obsession is TV shopping channels
My grandmother was recently moved into an assisted living facility, so this weekend I am helping to clear out her condo. She is 90 years old and sadly is suffering from dementia. When I was growing up she was always on a diet and she always walked several miles every day--either around her neighborhood or at the mall in the winter. I used to love going to the mall with her and my grandpa early in the morning to do laps with them and the other "mall walkers." I am still taking walks at my local outlet mall at nights on a regular basis and often think about those happy mall walking days spent my grandparents.
Hello everyone, old and new! I haven't been posting but am still working the plan. Eating lots of Medifast shakes and puddings, plus Wonderslim pancakes, cakes, bars, etc. I still have a decent variety on hand but have started to run low so took advantage of the dietdirect sale this week to order some bars and a few other things to keep me going. Are you all switching to the new Optavia line now? How long will they sell the old Medifast?
I have a question for you all. I would like to start batch cooking on the weekends because I am busy during the week and find it hard to cook a Lean and Green meal every night. So far I have been using those Steamfresh bags of vegetables for the Green, or else pre bagged salads, and then doing canned tuna or chicken for my Lean. Sometimes I do eggs. So, can you help me with more variety? What can I batch cook to eat for several dinners during the week? I have thought of hard boiled eggs, and poached chicken breasts. Other ideas of things I can cook in large amounts to eat say 3 nights per week? I am also open to casserole/mixed type Lean and Greens if there is something yummy I can make to reheat.
Hi everyone. I'm officially back from all my wedding chaos. Somehow I came back from a week in South Lake Tahoe with a 2 lb weight loss which is a shock considering all the damage I did I still have a long way to go with atleast 40 lbs to my final goal. All you ladies seem to be doing great with your weight loss. Keep up the hard work. Time to refocus
[/IMG[/IMG] Hi everyone. I'm officially back from all my wedding chaos. [/IMG]
Wow, wow, wow! JenCA You look so beautiful and happy in your photos. Your family is lovely. All that hard work paid off before your wedding. As hard as it was, you look amazing.
I love how committed you are to the next part of your weight loss. You should be proud of yourself!
Congrats Jen!! You look fantastic!! And lost 2lbs to boot!? I had to reread that a couple times. Nice!!! Now you have all that wedding stress behind you, you can focus on being the best mom and wife by being good to yourself and getting yourself healthy!! So much joy!!
Steph nice to hear from you. I think about you a lot and am glad to see you're still working the program the best way you can. I know a lot of people batch cook on Sundays. I haven't lately but a couple weeks back I did a sheet pan dinner where I chopped up some hearty vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes), added chopped onion and crushed garlic, then sprinkled them with olive oil and italian spices (oregano, basil). At the other end I placed some chicken breasts and brushed them with olive oil, salt, pepper and spices. Baked it all for about a half hour at 400 and it gave my husband and I two meals. We also like to get a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and eat it hot the first meal, then later meals, I will shred and reheat with spices. The other day I took leftover chicken and made fajitas out of them by mixing them in a frying pan with onions, peppers, garlic and fajita spice. Other times, I will put a little butter in a pan, mix in a healthy does of Franks Red Hot, heat to bubbling and add shredded chicken = buffalo chicken without the wings and fat...
One of the strategies that will benefit you after you complete the weight loss portion of your journey is to be able to improvise in the kitchen by making healthy meals out of what you have on hand.
I don't batch prepare/cook with any sort of consistency but here are a few of my favorite items I keep in my fridge at all times:
Batch cook a bunch of meat or use leftover meat from a prior meal and roll up up in a couple romaine lettuce leaves with added OP condiments. It is super easy to take with you for lunch or make for dinner.
Like Laura I also keep a large variety of OP vegetables that I just put in the oven and bake @ 350 for 45 minutes after drizzling with olive oil and season with salt/pepper. These veges I'll add to a bed of spinach with some lean meat on top. Or add a scrambled egg on top of the veges.
Since vegges and meat are the mainstay for L/G I can easily live on this type of food for a good number of meals and have yet to grow tired of it.
I make lots of "sandwiches" with OP fixings rolled up in a romaine leaf as well. It is simple but easy to change up the variety of what you put inside.
I think the easiest way to go off plan is to not have something already prepared if you know you won't have a lot of time to prepare your L/G.
