Ah, Operator, thanks! I see you are in onederland! Congrats to you! Where in WY are you from? I lived in southwestern MT for 5 years and I miss it terribly. At some point, I will move back west. Teacher salaries are so low in MT that I could not remain there and expect to pay back my loans.

Uniquleeme, are you saying that your 1 shake and 1 l&g is all you ate today or all that you could stick to today? I'm hoping it is the latter, as otherwise, your calories are really too low. Can I ask how your day is structured? Maybe we could help you out with planning meals. You told your husband you didn't think you could stick with the plan. What are you struggling with the most?

Like I've mentioned here before, I do not follow the plan exactly as it is written. I keep my calories at around 1400 and my carbs as close to 100 as possible and am losing at a steady rate. It is not the advertised "drop weight in a heartbeat" rate, but that is ok with me. I'm more interested in taming the food/sugar addiction beast. One thing that I'm trying to teach myself is the idea of "food = fuel" and that every meal doesn't have to be a culinary delight. Culinary delights are what got me to this weight.

I guess my point is that maybe we can find a way to make the plan work best for you, even if it isn't exactly what the MF site promotes.

Lili, for exercise I like to hike and walk. I used to do WATP religiously, but am in a funk with those and haven't been able to remotivate myself to continue using them. Plus, especially with the nice weather, I feel guilty walking inside while my dog stares at me, wondering why we are not outside.

New England has way too many bugs. Right now it is black fly and tick season, so walking outside is a bit less enjoyable. However, I'm going to try and wake up early and exercise before the bugs show up. Plus, maybe I'll see some wildlife. Last weekend I saw a moose on the trail I normally walk.

I hope everyone is successful tomorrow!

Hi everyone! I have missed you guys!! I have been OP with a little trouble getting my meals in on time, and I have doubled up several times. But the weight is steadily coming off- Week 7 and now 35lbs.

I went into work yesterday and my boss pulled me into the office and had a huge lecture about how I am not living a realistic life on this diet, how I can't learn to eat for life when I am on medifast food, and "you will just gain the weight back anyways." Although I appeared strong, she did scare me.... how will this time be different? How will I get back to eating real food and living in the real world, and how will I keep it off?? Does anyone esle have these concerns??

Hi Jana,

I have general "will I ever lose weight and keep it off" concerns, so I see this program as no different then anything else I've ever tried. I know Operator has read through the transition booklet and has liked the maintenance plan. I haven't even glanced at it, since maintenance and transition is so far off in the future.

A friend of mine had weight loss surgery over 3 years ago. She has lost 120lbs and has maintained for 2 years now. She attends monthly meetings with other women who had the surgery and was saying 5 of the women who had surgery around the same time she did, have since started gaining back the weight they had lost, with one being heavier than she was before the surgery. No method is fool-proof.

With any method, I think the key is focus and commitment. In essence, Medifast is a lower calorie, lower carb program that asks you to eat small meals throughout the day. This is something I think works for my body and can see myself continuing. I don't think it is unrealistic because the principles ARE realistic and healthy. Now, if you were eating cabbage soup 24/7 or doing water fasts to lose weight, I could understand your boss's concern. But eating pre-packaged foods that should be easy to duplicate "in the real world," I don't see as unrealistic.

If you don't mind ordering online, netrition or davinci are good places for the SF syrups

Just remember that when we change, by losing weight in particular, we scare the people around us who care about us. Don't take it in, let it roll off your back and keep going...

Welcome back!!! Wow on the weight loss!!! 35 lbs in 7 weeks is awesome!!

But, oh, goodness! When I read your post I got really mad at your boss! I'm sure she means well, but this is not an unhealthy way to lose weight. And how can she say that you'll "just gain the weight back anyways"?!? She's dooming you to failure before you even have a chance to try to succeed. When obviously you are succeeding VERY well!!! Sorry, but that kind of defeating "pep" talk really steams me! Like I said, I'm sure she means well...but darn it...people should be supportive and not tell you your "just gonna fail anyway, so why even try?"

So, my second thought was that it's obvious that she doesn't know what the MF plan is all about. Maybe you should read over the transition and maintenance plan, or even print them out for her, and you can let her know exactly what you'll be doing to maintain your fabulous weight loss? That may ease both of your fears a bit.

Also, did you see your doctor before going on MF? If so, you might just say to her that the diet has been approved by and being monitored by your doctor. I find that really helps with people who are concerned with the healthiness of the plan. If they know your doctor is aware of or even recommended the diet, they usually back off.

The transition and maintenance phases are very good and you should do fine as long as you follow them. (Or so I've read from the maintainers on the MF forums.) The learning to "eat for life" comes during transition and maintenance, not during our weight loss phase. I think the trick is to realize that you cannot just stop MF and go back to your previous way of eating. At least that's what I keep telling myself. It's gonna be REALLY hard, but I think it won't be as hard as sticking to 5&1. At least during maintenance, if I want a piece of pizza, I can have it...just in moderation.

So, anyway...I'm sorry that was such a long response. And also please don't be offended I was angry with your boss at first. It seems like she does really care about your health, but don't let her fears dictate what you do with your life or goals. Good luck, and stay strong!!

Thanks for the suggestions on the syrups! I didn't even think about checking the tea/coffee isle. I was looking around the breakfast syrups. I knew it was probably something like that. If I still can't find them I'll check out those sites.

I haven't had a chance to look for the ketone strips yet. If I can't find them at the grocery pharmacy, I'll stop by CVS or Walgreens. My weekly shopping trip got delayed until tomorrow, mostly just because I've been lazy the past couple days.

I'd love to go hiking regularly! I've never really lived in an area that was good for it though. Kansas and Texas tend to be pretty flat. Of course...there was this horrible "slope" on the running trail we ran on today that sure felt like a mountain!

Amazing-I 2nd the emotions of everyone else. Try to focus on yourself at times like that and come back here and the maintenance forums for support when those people get you down.

Well, I've got half my flower garden in. I'm going on graves, but I figure I can do about an hour or so a day until I get the rest in. Talk about getting excersize. Bend, dig, fork it, mix it, plant it, then move over 3 feet and do it again for 6 hrs. I might start a garden club thread on the General Chatter area for us spring lovers. Might help each other get ideas and encouragement. I kinda wish I had gone into landscaping as a career.

I'm also preparing for the Fun 5K on Memorial Day. Who knows, maybe next year I can enter a real one. But right now I only do 30 min. at no more than 3 miles an hour and I don't let the elevation go above 5.(that feels like a mountain too). I just don't want to get hurt or burn out.

Happy Mom's Day everyone. Keep up the Faith.

HUGGGSSS Thank you everyone! I thought long and hard about my boss- she is older and is a herbologist so she thinks she knows everything (lol hope she doesn't read here!!) but the part I did not tell you is that I had a conversation with her about people who are for me and against me and that I need people who advocate for my health and well being! I am standing by that- I KNOW what is right for me- and I need to do what I need to do. HArd not to let a little self doubt creep in... some of that not trusting myself. I guess that is the root of my self-esteem issues- do I really know what is good for me??

How do you guys use the SF syrups? Do you put them in the shakes? I went to the Davinci website and was absolutely awed that there were so many flavors and the shipping wasn't too bad. Is there a limit on how much we can have???

Weigh-in day today. I lost 2 lbs. Not as well as I have been doing but I'll take it with a smile. Last week wasn't so great and I was off for a few extra days. Plus, my ex came over and we went out to dinner. I tried to stay on plan, but I don't go out very often and the restaurant we were at didn't make it easy. It's really hard to tell what all they add to the food that you don't know about. I'll definately have to do some reasearch on places to go and what to order for in the future. But, we did take a nice walk downtown after dinner then rode trax back to the car. That's a habit we need to get started.

This week I'm on graves so I'll be on truck and not burning nearly as many calories. I found last night that it's a bit tougher with eating to. I'm a boredom eater and it is so boring on that truck. Fortunately, I can't get to any other food once my lunchbag is prepared and I'm on the damned truck, so I can't exactly cheat. I just have to watch myself and the time to make sure I stay on track.

I may try doing 15 min on the treadmill before or after work, but it can be hard to get in. I don't like getting up early and I can get to smelling funky afterwards. A shower and going to work with wet hair sucks. Especially considering it SNOWED last night. Yes it did. Just because I put my roses in. It did. It did. Also, after working 12.5 and spending another 1.5 hrs in transit I don't have alot left for anything but staring at the TV for a few(whether on or off) and staggering to bed. But, who knows, maybe if I did get going I would have more energy. We'll see.

Platinum- I've only used the syrups in recipes so far. There is a website with recipes at www.medifast-recipes.com. That's where I got the recipe for the muffins I turn my oatmeal into.

I hope everyone is doing well. Love y'all!!!

Congrats on the 2lb loss, Operator! 2lbs is about my average loss a week, so that sounds really good to me! So, when you're working in the truck, are you driving then entire time? Or are you driving and stopping for a bit of time, then driving more? Can you listen to books on CD/tape or something to take your mind off of the tediousness? (Wow, that's a lot of questions! haha!)

Don't mind me...I think I'm a little slap-happy today. I'm so tired! I don't know why, but I didn't sleep well at all last night.

So, the past few days I've been experiencing something totally out of character for me...not only am I not hungry...I don't want to eat anything! My favorite foods look really unappetizing and almost make me sick just thinking about them. I normally am pretty good about eating my MF meals, and when it's time to eat them, I'm normally pretty enthusiastic about it. Not so lately! I think to myself, "It's time to eat!" I'll go stare at the boxes of MF and just not want to eat any of them. Even the chocolate pudding! I don't even want the L&G. I've had to resort to eating cheese and veggie strips throughout the day to get it in. I just feel so strange not wanting to eat! I guess it's a good thing though? Some people on the MF forums have said they experienced the same thing. Has anyone here felt this way?

Well..hope everyone is doing well today! <3

Had a very uplifting day today- went into work and so many people commented on how much I have lost and how "good" I look now. I growled a little, not because I have lost weight, but darn I must have looked terrible. I was really fooling myself in how fat I was. I had convinced myself that I didn't look that bad. In fact, lol I had a morning when I woke up and went- I AM FAT! How did this happen. I just didn't really know it... weird.

Jana, I've had that same thought pattern before. Don't get me wrong, I've always known I was horribly overweight, but only pictures truly conveyed how fat I was. Looking in the mirror, I had myself convinced I wasn't that bad. Everytime I get motivated to lose weight, I'm always confronted with just how long the process is going to be, and yes, I am that bad. Sigh...

Lili, I have those days on occasion. I'm convinced it is entirely hormonal because I will also have days where nothing satisfies me and I can never tell why I am so "on track" one day and so off another.

Things have been on track this week. I've been getting more exercise in, which always help with motivation. I'm looking forward to Thursday's weigh in...I think it will be a little higher than the last 2 weeks. Four more days and I will have been on the program one month, so I'm excited to see the total loss. It won't be the advertised 20lbs, but might be 18...we'll see on the 17th.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Amazing-I've been getting "looks" at work. The guys seem to be being careful about what they say. I think alot of them know better than to say anything to a woman about her weight. But I get get some of those scrunchy faced looks from the ones that I don't hang with much. The ones I do do have been complimentary though.

Lili-Oh, they don't want to stop those trucks for anything. I've even noticed the last two nights that our 20 min. lunchbreak has been buzzing out at 18 min. I mean ****, how damned greedy can these people be. They already try to pressure us into not even taking a damned break during the shift by paying $9.50 or so to skip it and every so often posting a list of people under the guise of making sure we get paid. It is really just to let the people who do take them know we're "slackers". Then, the tower has been "thanking" everyone who works thru lunch on the company radio. We work 12 hrs and have to come in 30 min. early for a "safety" meeting. This mine made $2.5 BBBillion(yes, a B) last year, but they want to screw the people who got them there out of a lunch break. Produce or die.

Well I take my lunch break and I do try to step out of my cab when I get a chance. I can't listen to the radio because I miss things on the company radio if I do. Some guys don't even listen to the company, but that bothers me. Also, I'm pretty attentive to the sounds of my truck. Even if I can't get things fixed until they are beyond broken, I like to know what I'm dealing with. I bring the news for reading when I get stuck in line or we have a road block.

We are in a Right to Work state, so the union and the employees don't have any power to fight back. Also, unlike WY and TX, the people here don't have any balls. They won't stand up for themselves. It's ridiculous. This place is run strictly on favoritism to the point of being scary. And, sexism is just standard practice. I have more experience than 98% of the people they've hired in the last few years, but I'm still driving truck mostly while GUYS with no exp. are doing jobs I knew how to do coming in. The only reason I got blasting is because there is alot of work involved and no pay raise, so most of the others don't want to do it. This is the most unprofessional mine I've ever been around.

Sorry to go on so. I kinda flake out on Graves. But now you have an idea of why I hate this state so much.

I do feel good about the 2 lbs. I just get a little greedy for the 7 lb. loses I was having. Today I did see that my stomach is noticeably smaller. I love it. Not skinny yet, but less is hanging down.

Y'all have a good one. Keep the Faith.

Operator,

Do you encounter much overt sexism in your work?

I grew up in PA, where I had friends whose fathers were coal miners. I recall quite a few sexist conversations with those fathers and would always become infuriated. I also worked for the Post Office for a summer and encountered a LOT of sexist discriminatory practices there, too. Retired veterans and former military men stating women didn't belong in the PO and were not capable of the job, etc. I hated always having to prove myself.