[StephGetsHealthy]

hi all, it does feel like a winter drudgery today. I am in the same "bored" boat with the meals. I wonder how long I will be doing this, and what I will do to transition after? I have enough meals for another month at least. Here's hoping I will not get TOO bored with my boring Orange Drinks, smoothies, shakes and Hot Cocoa! In a way, having mostly liquids makes this easier (fewer choices) so I will go with that and stay positive!

[BanTam]

I guess the upside of living in central Texas is the winter... or lack there of. I am originally from Illinois but have been here since '78. It's sunny and 71. But fair warning, I'll be complaining like crazy this summer!!

If y'all have the oatmeal and a waffle maker you should try the waffles. My recipe is still in the first page of the MF recipe thread on their site. Not sure if this link will work...

https://dashboard.medifast1.com/community

[MorningGlory1950]

It's been a while...I think for a lot of us it sound like the "honeymoon" is over and we need to add some excitement back into our relationship with the Medifast food!!

I had mentionned that there is a youtube site called Metallica Mom who has created all types of new MF creations with 2, 3 and sometimes 4 different Medifast meals!

Or perhaps just reading other threads can get us going with a renewed frame of mind. I have read many of the posts under the Ideal Protein thread. It is also a packaged meal plan (sounds much more restrictive than MF) and just see how others cope with their program.

We are all doing so well...we don't want to lose that enthusiasm we had when we first started. Even reading back over all our previous posts can glean the encouragement that get our positive juices flowing again.

Tomorrow is weigh in for me. I have had my 3 year old granddaughter staying with me since Wednesday and I have decided not to take her to the Medifast Center. So I may just finally weigh myself at home. I did check my scale last week against the center scale and only .2 difference! So I should be okay.

I need an extra push for motivation. I am tired of going to the center. I know more than the new "counselor" and just feel it is a pain to go there. My accountability that I needed in the beginning has been recentered within myself and this wonderful group.
However, I am still focusing on the transition process which will be where I will need to be very diligent.

Just thoughts...I am in the same mindset as many of you and it is probably the "winter doldrums" talking!

Everyone, have a wonderful, on plan weekend...we are all in this together!!!

[LauraRVA42011]

Happy Saturday all!

I am officially out of the 280s and have lost 20lbs! I am seeing a steady decline again and am very pleased.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Cheers,
Laura

[BanTam]

Yay!!!!! That's great ! You did it during a week that wasn't really "easy", too!! I'm proud for you!

[yumyumgirl]

Hi Ladies,

Soooo.. I am back from my birthday week and business trip and let me tell you-It was not easy and I must be honest that I did not do as good as I wanted to in terms of staying on this diet.

Last Friday and Saturday I had family visiting and we had lunches and dinners out. I tried to keep things to a minimum, but on the Saturday and at the "birthday dinner" especially, I ate what I wanted, including key lime pie for dessert. I had fun with my family and I enjoyed it.

Sunday was my traveling day, so back on plan I went and I did great.

Monday-Thursday was the conference. I really tried to stay on plan but was obligated to eat with others for both lunch and dinners. I grabbed protein, salad, and veggies where available(most covered in sauces and cheese) and skipped dessert.

Thursday was my worst day- I had drank too much wine on Wednesday night( a whole other issue considering I am a recovering alcoholic) and I basically just ate whatever and as much as I wanted on Thursday- it was not pretty. We are talking eggs and bacon with buttered toast, Pasta with cream sauce, cookies, Chick fil A, etc!! It was really crazy and this is a big reason why I don't drink anymore, I lose all sense of control...not good

So, yesterday I told myself that I will not continue down that path and had a 100% on plan day yesterday. I stepped on the scale this morning and am up exactly 2 pounds to 166.4... I think that it is fair and that I earned those 2 pounds. However, I will not let that temporary stumble stop me from reaching my goals. I am going to hit 155 pounds hopefully in the next month and then I can get back in the gym and really work on my health.

I know we are all getting a bit bored, but I hope my story will help you all stay on plan. Just a few days off plan caused me to regain 2 pounds out of the 10 it took me a month to lose. Its not worth it and now I am going through the first few days of carb withdrawal again. If you are in fat burning mode-STAY THERE.. Look up some creative recipes for your lean and green or get creative with your medifast meals..

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Best,
Carmen

[MorningGlory1950]

Laura ~ You know those cheerleaders are doing extra duty!!!



You got that extra push to keep on program. When you see that new decade, all of a sudden you are refreshed, renewed and ready to begin the program anew! So happy for you, especially with all the "real" life scenarios!

[MorningGlory1950]

Carmen ~ So glad you are back! Your "splurge" is over. I think your attitude is fantastic. You have a plan, a renewed spirit to pick up where you left off. That's life and that's recovery.

I though this quote by moderator BillBlueEyes from The Beck Solution thread today is appropriate for many of us:

Chapter 9 Psychological Traps

#2: The Self-Criticizer Trap

As long as you have the unhelpful and impossible rule, "I shouldn't ever make dieting mistakes," you'll continue to criticize yourself, feel terrible, and be at risk for giving up. But there's no need to! Just as Marisa had practiced and gotten better and better at getting the ball over the net, she could get better and better at dieting, as long as she kept "taking lessons" and practicing. And she needed to recognize that, without a doubt, she would make mistakes along the way, errors that she didn't deserve to criticize herself for.

Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., Deborah Beck Busis, The Diet Trap Solution, Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good (Blue book), pg. 204

[MorningGlory1950]

BanTam ~ Thank you for the link! I had forgotten about SandysKitchenAdventures.com
for so many great Medifast recipes. The pancakes turned into bread sounds wonderful, too!

[MorningGlory1950]

Steph ~ Sounds like less choices = better compliance to the program. You sound like Karen! Your plans are obviously working!

Spring is around the corner, everyone! I feel it in the air! Today it is supposed to be 62 degrees in South Central PA - that is so unusual for this time of year. I'll take it!

[sidrah]

Hi,
My old message regularly used boards are completely inactive. Purchased the products, but re-starting Monday. The soy got me. The Optavia flavors are much more my style. I like the non-artificial flavoring. Glad to see others actively on plan

[BanTam]

Welcome!

The old MF boards are (sadly) not very active at all. People still post but nothing like they were five years ago. This thread is about as close as I've found.

I am really enjoying this MF go 'round!

[LauraRVA42011]

Sidrah!! You have come to the right place!

Have a look through the Medifast Round 2 thread, there is a lot of good information and inspiration found there.

Happy Sunday all! Yesterday was fantastic. We drove down to the Outer Banks to get in some ocean vibes (it is our happy place and we visit many times a year) for the day. I was about 90% on plan so I was worried about the scale this morning, but I needed not fear, my body is in a groove as I slowly continue to lose.

Carmen, welcome back to the fold! Your attitude is right on target and you are going to succeed being back on program! We have to face the real world from time to time, and I think it's good you only gained 2lbs!! You are spot on about stepping into Carb Pond, because before you know it you're in Carb Lake and out of Ketosis. That fear has kept me on track more often than I can count these days!!

Let's have a fantastic Sunday!!

Cheers,
Laura

[sheilaE]

Good Morning everyone! I am back at it with a renewed sense of purpose as well!

Joyce, I live in SW PA so the weather may have played into my better sense of well-being as well. It was 67 here yesterday and we were able to get and about as well as get some much needed work done in the yard today.

We also increased the weight level yesterday so I feel a little sore through my shoulders. I also have a tad bit of water retention which I found out is common to weight lifting especially when moving up a level. Muscles get slightly inflamed and hold water as they repair and grow. I'm looking more for the NSV's right now than numbers on the scale because they have certainly slowed down. The inches are continuing to come down faster than the weight numbers but that's ok, healthy is healthy. My lovely mother-in-law asked me yesterday if I was using 3lb weights. My husband laughed and said, "Mom, she is lifting between 25 and 100 lbs depending on the exercise. He is so good, its like having a professional trainer. He is all about good technique, not doing too much too fast, drinking lots of water and the right amount of reps. I think that helped me to break my doldrums.

I did wobble though ....as no one is perfect. I had 2 glasses of red wine next to the campfire we built last night. I felt it immediately but even so I was able to keep my calorie count in the 1000 range for the day. That was at the expense of not eating all my MF for the day. Alcohol instead of food. Not the wisest choice but not the worst either. Sleep was a little off last night too. Between the sore muscles and the wine, I was off my sleep game for sure. At least it was Saturday night instead of a work evening. Back at it today 100% OP with more yard work, beautiful weather and much needed time away from a stressful work week.

Laura, I am so impressed with your loss. What a victory for you and to stay with it after a disappointing week to things moving in the right direction again.



Carmen, You will DO THIS! We all stumble a bit but being willing to accept it for what it is and "get back on the horse" is what makes a winner. It obviously wasn't all bad because even with the additional calories and carbs, you gained 2 lbs not 5 lbs. The travel weeks can be so tough. So glad you are back and ready to move forward toward you goals. You are to be commended for being accountable to yourself and getting back after it. It's a journey not a single win.

Welcome sidrah! We'll all be interested to hear more about why you enjoy the Opatvia products. Several of us have tried them and not cared for the flavors. Maybe its just the difference in flavors that I'm noticing more than the actual flavors.

BamTam I can see why you would complain through a TX summer. Brutal heat! We have a family lake house in the mountains and the weather in the summer when its hot is high 70's and it never gets over 85. Our lake place is another reason we are dieting. We were way too heavy last summer and we want to be able to be more active the way we used to be. Who knows, maybe we'll even get back on the water skis!

Stay the course!

Sheila

[StephGetsHealthy]

I had a bad week. No excuses, I ate things I should not have, with too many carbs. It turned out being another "maintain" week (2 days off, 5 days on Medifast) with a 0 loss. I don't like that feeling AND I can't afford to "waste" anymore of my precious Medifast meals. I am on plan now 100% and I know there will be a loss next week!

I am currently cooking my Optavia Pesto Mac packet. I thought it tasted okay the first time but was too soupy and the noodles were not soft enough, so this time, I started with boiling water (a little extra, too) and have cooked it 1 minute, rest 5, cook 1, rest 5... etc. I think all the resting/soaking will help the noodles absorb the water and thicken the sauce. I am going to keep doing that until the texture is right. My other meals so far today were an Orange drink and a Hot Cocoa. I think I will make steak and broccoli for dinner.