Thanks Riddy and Bones! That would be great to see some good results by the 4th! I have a lot to go!!!! So one day at a time...

Hi, I have been very happy with this program. I have lost another 3 pounds. I just hope I can keep up this momentum!!! I had another challenge last Saturday...a family reunion, reception. The food was served buffet style, so I was able to choose my lean and green. I stuck to the crudite and the broiled chicken. Even though I was the official cake cutter, I didn't have any and my only cheat was a small glass of champagne! I felt very proud of myself because I didn't feel deprived. I had a wonderful time. Next week is the Bridal Shower...!

That is wonderful and amazing!!! :D

I swear to you if I'd had that cake in front of me, I'd have eaten some. Really craving cakes this week.

Well...I made it through another land mine... The Wedding Shower... I tasted rather than ate, if that makes sense. It was impossible to stay with just a lean and green meal option, so I just took dabs of what was there and I must say it was very tasty, enjoyable, and satisfying. But I didn't feel like I overate at all. I did get out of my plan, but I think I am learning how to eat at these big affairs without overdoing like I normally would. I was noticing how my slim relatives eat and it was interesting. I notice they do restrict themselves in some way or another. I didn't know that. I thought they could just eat whatever they wanted and not get fat. But I see that they have their own perameters and stick with them. I never did that before. I would just haul off and eat anything and everything I liked and take leftovers home. I asked one of my slim relatives why she wasn't having any of the cookies. She said that she can resist if her favorite cookie isn't there. Her favorite is oatmeal raisin. So when she see them, she can have them, but if they aren't there she skips cookies!!!! Hmmm... So, I am planning on establishing my own rules for future eating situations. I lost another 4 pounds last week!!! But I don't know how to update my signature happy faces! I would appreciate some help with this. I am very excited about Medifast. It is working for me...I don't know why but it is. I am not going to jinx it with overanalysis! The best part for me is that it is quick! I can walk into the kitchen fix a shake or a soup, even if it take 5 min. to soak, or mix up a brownie and cook in the microwave, and that's it! Quick, easy, satisfying is working for me. Yes, I add herbs, spices, etc. I look forward to my lean and green for sure, but even that is quick to prepare if I plan it that way. I don't want to spend tons of time cooking. I am live alone so of course that helps. Anyway that is where I am at today. Let's see what this week brings. Thanks to all of you who check in. I apprecite you.

Hey Elstyle,
Great job! I'm still learning how to eat at events where the food is laid out in front of me, but I'm improving. Good for you for paying attention and not going crazy!

I went away this weekend and did pretty well. Friday I ate on plan and had 1 diet margarita. Saturday was not entirely on plan - I had no control over my dinner, not enough meat or veggies and it came with starch. I didn't eat the starch, had nuts and some cherry tomatoes I brought with me in the hotel room later, plus 3 diet margaritas. (I was allowing myself 2 drinks a night, so only 1 on Friday meant 3 on Saturday according to my girl math) ;););)

I exercised every day - got up early friday before I left and did yoga, brought my mat with me and did a yoga app on my iphone saturday, and did yoga again last night when I got home. Not too bad!

This Saturday I have a baby shower to go to, so another opportunity to prove I'm learning how to eat right. :p

Keep up the good work!

ETA - to change your ticker, click "user CP" on the upper left, then "edit signature." Scroll down to the box at the bottom, and change your current weight. Then save it!

Thanks for the encouragement. You sound like you have things worked out very well for continuing your losses. I know I will be using MF for a long time and so I need to learn to live with it. I kind of think of myself as needing medicine...instead of becoming diabetic or having high blood pressure, etc., I think of my weight loss as a type of health issue that needs resolution. When I think of it like that I don't stray too far from the prescription. Yesterday at the grocery store I started looking around at all the possible items and kept saying to myself, lean and green, lean and green. That helped me make my choices and kept me on track!
I do apprciate having this forum to express myself and to hear from others. It is so good to know others are doing the same things I am and succeeding or working through difficulties. Riddy thanks for your advice and sharing!
Hey...I know I must be dense...but what is user CP? I cannot believe I am having trouble with this!

Ok...I found it...sheesh!

I've learned a lot in the last year, but I'm still working on it. I know I still have to figure out how to eat right when there's tempting unhealthy food in front of me.

I did ok at the baby shower today - ate lots from the veggie platter, a little buffalo chicken, 2 mini stuffed mushrooms and the chicken & veggies from inside a wrap. I was able to completely pass by the macaroni salad. There was fruit, which I do miss sometimes, so I had a few blackberries and blueberries. My big cheat was a vodka & club soda and a cupcake. All in all not to bad. Most of the cupcakes on myfitnesspal were around 250 calories - I'm not sure it was worth it. I mean, it was good, but not spectacular. Now the key lime pie vodka was TOTALLY worth the calories - YUM! :drinkup: I had a salad with some plain chicken and just vinegar instead of dressing for dinner, and only 4 MF meals today, so it will almost even out.

You've got a great attitude, and I think you'll keep doing well. I love coming here and knowing there are other people who "get" what I'm doing - even if there are only a few of us.

Hey ladies, hope you're all doing well. Man this is hard. I started this just after the crazy calorie-fest that is the holiday season in the hopes of dealing with fewer temptations, but the summer time? BBQs? Siiiigh :( Here's hoping I can push through and lose all I want to lose before Thanksgiving when I know without a doubt I'll be eating some of my mom's pumpkin pie. Dangit.

Well...I lost only 2 pounds this past week and I stayed on track except for the birthday at Disneyland...but I can be very happy to be losing. I have spent years just constantly gaining and that has to end!!! So to be losing even little by little and feeling great doing it is wonderful. And if you think of it, 2lbs is a lot.

I have the rehearsal dinner coming this Sat. and then next week the wedding. My grandson who is 3 is having a little friend party this week too, but that will be easy to resist wrong eating. I really can actually pass on cake, popsicles, kid candy, etc. But the rehearsal dinner...that is another kettle of fish. I will do my best.

I am headng to lunch with a friend today but it will be easy to have my lean and green salad. One huge success for me has been drinking my one or two cups of coffee black!!!! I would NEVER give up my cream/coffee before. And now I am perfectly fine drinking it black...who knew? That really is a miracle for me!!!

Hang in there Bones...we can do it!!!!

Hang in there even if you have a slower week. It all evens out in the end. I got to a point that I had no desire to eat at all and had to force down my Lean & Greens. Appetite was gone! Amazing for a former binge eater.

Thanks Lyn, I plan to hang in there with it. I made it through grandson's birthday yesterday eating my S'mores bar and lots of ice tea! I had a great time and felt good that I stayed away from the cake, candy, chips, etc.

However, I did have one bad day earlier in the week. I left the house forgetting my food for the day!!!!! I thought I could handle it and wait until I got back home. But I got way too hungry. So I stopped for a lean and green but...I didn't keep it lean or green!!!!! Boo hoo... However, I did turn it around the next day and had the success at the party. Yay!!!

So the next land mine is the rehearsal dinner this Saturday. I will do my best. :)

I have been on Medifast for 2 month and have lost 30 lbs so I am not complaining. I have done pretty good avoiding cheating on the plan but have made the decision to have a couple of things that are not on plan. I am not recommending this to anyone but for me it helps to know I do not have to be so strict that I have no room for a small treat. My DD who knows I'm on a "health plan"- I'm starting to love the term(more about this later) asked me about catfish nugget I ate which she didn't want (I cooked them for father's day and they were ooooh soooooo good) which I wouldn't have normally done. I was so proud of myself when I said to her "Over half my plate is sald with some shrimp and a small piece of beef so one small nugget isn't the worse thing I can do". The reason I was proud is that healthy plate of food is becoming more like second nature for me and that's exactly where I need to be for permanent success.

When I went on Medifast I told my family so they would know and be supportive but my children especially my DD had the tendency to tell others outside the family (read as "anyone she met") that "my mom is on a diet". I just didn't like hearing that for many reasons. My DD has Asperger's and we are working on impulse control so just saying stop it just didn't work. So I took time to explain that mommy was on a "health plan" to improve her health not just lose weight. So I would hear her say to her brother's "Mommy can't eat that, she's on a health plan" when they wanted me to finish their fries. At first I just thought, "Yay, it worked she's not calling it a diet anymore" but now I'm really embodying that and loving it.

Sorry for the long post - I really posted to asked for some tips for staying on plan while I'm in Florida in two weeks time. Now this is going to be a challenge! We are staying at a resort so we will have a microwave. I, of course, will bring my meals but any other pointers would be great.

Thanks in advance ;)

Hi Karmich,
I don't have much advice for traveling but another writer said that having a microwave is essential, so you should be in good shape. I have had to plan my days away from home and just take everything I need...not being able to use a heat source. So it is bars, shakes, snacks. I think the best thing is that you feel satisfied as you eat frequently through the day and then it is very good to have "real food" in your lean and green at least once a day. Good luck.

Hi karmich,

I did 11 days in Florida in April, and stayed on plan for all except a couple meals (which were planned "cheats").

I had a small order of Medifast food shipped down there, because I was staying with family. I did mostly bars and pretzels. If we went out to lunch, I had the chili for dinner. I did hot cocoa a couple nights for my evening snack, but mostly I was perfectly happy to have lots of bars , because I usually keep myself to just 1 or 2 a day.

Stick to the plan as much as you can, and let yourself have a little off plan time a couple of the days if you want.

Good luck!