Steph! Stay focused! Eyes on the prize! Just think about when you consider carbs that you are tampering with no longer being in ketosis and will have to endure the 3 days to get rid of glycogen repercussions. If you haven't yet, read the sticky thread "what is Ketosis". Early in my journey I read it over and over. Whenever I'm tempted by carbs, I think about the impact and the wasted 3 days I would spend getting back into the fat-burning state. Not worth it IMHO. Stay strong, you've got this!!
Thanks Laura! I am going to read that thread now. Most of this diet is in our minds, and I have to get mine straight! I have lacked commitment but that ends now. I literally do not have enough MF meals to waste 3 days here and there because of cheats! Once I run out, I am done, unless I find more very cheap on Craigslist! So I am making the meals count from now on.
Good Evening,
I am writing a shopping list now. This time around, I am doing mainly vegetarian. Vegan, if possible, but seems like with the dairy component, I cannot make that sustainable. I am okay with vegetarian for now.
That might be part of the reason I like the Optavia things better. Yes, they are a taste unlike the MF but I do think the lack of artificial flavoring has to be better for you and I tend to go as close to whole foods and grains as I can. I like that there are more green smoothies and cinnamon-y things and more savory vs cloyingly sweet. I was never a big fan of the bars with the rice krispie kind of things in them, so I guess I tended towards the savory anyway, which is where I find the Optavia line heading. I know the "green" taste is more acquired, but it has to be like the others where you acclimate and adjust as you go on.
My favorite food has always been the oatmeal....minus the peach. I like them all but peach is at the bottom of the oatmeal list. Still would rather eat that than any other items. The only thing I really never got into was the chili and I detest all things coffee or BBQ, so never had them. Loved the chai but that has gone away. I'm hoping that is among the next batch of re-dos for Optavia.
Anyhow, probably spending a good deal of time tomorrow making some cookies or muffins that I can freeze for the next few days and grab and go. I have the chili nut bars and like them, but I am not a huge fan of the curry bars. I drink loooottts of water trying to get them down! i have not yet tasted the chipotle mac and cheese. I am not a fan of chipotle, but there were only so many Optavia items to choose from, so I thought I would give it a try.
I will be putting in a big order on Monday now that the oatmeal (yay!) is no Optavia and i need to pick up some other things, like cereal.
Other than that, very happy to see people here. I love cucumber, so even though I love to cook, I can eat cucumber and cottage cheese for dinner almost every night. For quite a long time, I had tuna with cucumber for breakfast every day. I thought I should cut back on some of that mercury going into my system, though
Ordered some of the new items! Really looking forward to re-stocking my oatmeal. Also, got some of the chewy bars. I have kids in my classroom all day, even during lunch, so hopefully these will fit in this time around. Last few times, I just never ate until I got home at 6pm and then was starving. I need to find/buy chives. They are so expensive now. I used to get them at CVS for $1. Now, if I can find them, it is $5-6 for a small jar.
For those with the day off, enjoy today and for those us that are working, go get em!
Today is day 3 of no weight change for me but I've noticed and Joyce said that she also sees that pattern. A hold on her weight change for a week or two (or small loss) followed by a "whoosh" loss. For me that is happening on a daily basis. Now that I recognize it, it doesn't bother me. I should see the whoosh tomorrow or the next day because I know I've stuck to the plan and numbers will follow eventually.
My next shipment is due to arrive today. I have to admit, I am not over the moon excited about it but I recognize it works and I am committed to hitting my goal. I've noticed that my husband and I have started to slow down the amount of MF we are consuming just slightly. He has given up 1 MF meal a day and moved more to the 4 and 2 plan which is probably healthier for him as he is very physically active in his job. He certainly over-indulged this weekend and realized he did not want to get on the scale to see the damage (where I ALWAYS do). He is back at it today and still losing. He has now lost 34 and I am at 23lbs down. As expected, the loss rate has slowed while making better intuitive choices has improved.
Sheila, you are so blessed to have a partner to do MF with! I have always wished I could convince one of my friends to do this with me so we could cheer each other on in person. It must be great to have your husband eating the same way with the same goals (generally speaking).
Sheila, I was watching a Youtbe video of a girl who had similar sentiments. Around week 20-ish, she said I am getting bored with the food and I don't want to do this anymore, but I am going to because I know it works (she had lost around 75/80 pounds at that point). But, she continued and is on week 24 now. Looks great, like the younger sister of herself. I agree, it is great you have someone to go through it with.
For me, I am doing more pre-planning than I have ever done. I just made the oatmeal, the cinnamon roll one, and the herb biscuit into 4 mini donuts (Babycakes) each. Just waiting for them to cool so I can bag and stick in fridge. Maybe changing up how you cook them? I really like making the mashed potatoes with the Babycakes and dipping in spicy mustard. Comes out like knishes. Maybe opening the brand new box will awaken something!
Jumping in here to say hi! I started TSFL in July 2015 and am now down 150 pounds. I am starting transition this week, because the scale seems to have stopped and I'm thinking that my thighs just really ARE this big and it's not going to change!
I love that I found this forum - I actually was googling two very random questions - one a few months ago that brought me here (something about harder to shave armpits now that I lost weight ) and then a question today about more obvious laugh lines since I lost weight. Odd questions, for sure, but hey... I'm happy to see that others are having similar situations so I'm not completely crazy
I am happy to find others on the journey as well - whether just beginning it or have been here awhile like me. There is strength in numbers!!
Husband has been with me the past year, and is down 100 pounds. So proud of him, and SO thankful he does this with me so we can support each other! We need each other to be strong, especially now, since my daughter is a super seller of Girl Scout Cookies and we have 1500 boxes in my dining room right now
Editing to add - just ordered last week so it's all the old foods, but changed my next months order today to include some of the new Optavia. Hopefully it's good! My all time favorite is the cappuccino, I have one every morning for breakfast. If they discontinue it, there will be rioting . I plan on continuing to buy/drink it in maintenance as well!
Thanks Laura! I am going to read that thread now. Most of this diet is in our minds, and I have to get mine straight! I have lacked commitment but that ends now. I literally do not have enough MF meals to waste 3 days here and there because of cheats! Once I run out, I am done, unless I find more very cheap on Craigslist! So I am making the meals count from now on.
I liken this to not only having the food, but do you realize it costs you almost $50 to get back into fat burn?? Stop/challenge/choose is what I do - in the "will this burger get me to goal" way like they recommend, but then the cheapskate in me thinks more like "is this burger REALLY worth $50??? Nope".
MoMo! It is fantastic that you have joined us! I know many of us have done the big loss only to stumble with no transition plan. Please do share with us your transition experiences, the good and the difficult because I know I need to hear it!!
A few years ago I followed a WW Blog of a woman who had lost over 100 and her transition struggles were poignant. I know it's not going to be easy once I've hit my goal and that the hard part will just be starting.
So glad to have you here!! I especially love you putting a price tag on how much money you waste in food to return to fat-burning from a stumble!!! I am going to put that in the forefront of my mind from now on!
For me, I'm in my losing phase again and I wanted to compare my journey with when I had previously lost over 100 lbs. I reviewed my weekly weigh-ins to see if I could find a pattern that would give me the same kind of assurance that Joyce has. What I found was much more interesting. As I neared my goal, the last 6 weeks my weight fluctuated the same 5 lbs until I threw in the losing towel. I'm currently pacing ahead of where I was the last time, so that gives me some positive reinforcement.
Have a great day everyone!!!
Last edited by LauraRVA42011; 02-21-2017 at 10:56 AM.
Good Morning and welcome MoMo! It's so nice to have resource with the experience you have over so many months. Congratulations on your weight loss! It's wonderful I'm sure. I love how committed you stayed.
Steph and Sidrah, you're both absolutely correct in saying how great it is to have a partner in this journey. I'm not sure who is motivating who. The pendulum definitely swings both ways.
We did not lift weights last night (we generally do it every other day to give ourselves a recovery day since we are lifting fairly heavy amounts). My husband had an off weekend from the diet and then worked very hard yesterday. To get back on track, he did one of what he calls his "catch-up" nights. He was sound asleep by 7:45 pm. I actually like these evening because a little alone time is a gift for me. I've always needed my alone time. We'll lift tonight I'm sure.
After the 3 day stall, the scale budged, just as expected. At least I know the drill now.
My new shipment came and I tried the French Vanilla Shake for the first time. Loved it! Wish I'd had that earlier. Still a little bored with the food probably because I don't care for the actual food and find myself sticking with shakes, smoothies and bars (but generally the shakes and smoothies). I save my food for the real deal at lean and green time. In fact, once in a while, I move from 5 & 1 to 4 & 2 for a day or 2 just to get some extra real food. About one a week I eat tuna with celery, red pepper, hard boiled egg and a little smashed avocado for lunch instead of MF. Sure my calories for the day go up slightly but it keeps me satisfied and helps me to stay on the plan overall.
Joyce! How did the weigh in go? You've not been posting since mentioning it...
Sheila, good luck with your interview tomorrow!!
Sidrah, if you've seen my or TWINCA's posts in the other thread, you'd know we're all in when it comes to pre-planning. I have this and next month's meals and orders mapped out.
MoMo! It is fantastic that you have joined us! I know many of us have done the big loss only to stumble with no transition plan. Please do share with us your transition experiences, the good and the difficult because I know I need to hear it!!
A few years ago I followed a WW Blog of a woman who had lost over 100 and her transition struggles were poignant. I know it's not going to be easy once I've hit my goal and that the hard part will just be starting.
So glad to have you here!! I especially love you putting a price tag on how much money you waste in food to return to fat-burning from a stumble!!! I am going to put that in the forefront of my mind from now on!
For me, I'm in my losing phase again and I wanted to compare my journey with when I had previously lost over 100 lbs. I reviewed my weekly weigh-ins to see if I could find a pattern that would give me the same kind of assurance that Joyce has. What I found was much more interesting. As I neared my goal, the last 6 weeks my weight fluctuated the same 5 lbs until I threw in the losing towel. I'm currently pacing ahead of where I was the last time, so that gives me some positive reinforcement.
Have a great day everyone!!!
Cheers,
Laura
Thanks so much for the welcome!
I am excited to start transition although I have to admit, the very first step is my least favorite. An extra cup of veggies - not my favorite! I will take a baggie of cherry tomatoes to snack on during the day so it's not as much at once tonight with my lean and green
I have heard a lot of stories about failed transitions/maintenance and that scares me. I tell myself there is NO going back, since I already got rid of all my larger clothes and have had way too much fun spending piles of money on a cute new wardrobe! I think I will do ok though, I really have de-emphasized the role of food and I hope this carries through.
I had started transition last December, and got as far as adding the dairy (veggies first, then fruit, then dairy, then whole grain) and had a surgery before Christmas that knocked me sideways. I needed more fuel/calories for my body to heal so I "cheated" by adding granola to my fruit and yogurt and adding hummus to my carrots. I figured if that was "cheating", then I still did great! Because of the surgery I gained about 10 pounds (pure water weight, NOT from the granola/hummus and it went away as the swelling went down) but it kinda freaked me out so I went back on 5+1 when I felt stronger. But it's been a few weeks, I feel worlds better, and the scale isn't moving (I guess that pesky last 10 pounds I had in my brain/imaginary goal just aren't meant to come off!) so it's time to get back to it.
Worried about - I actually love the lack of thought and preparation needed while on plan. I love how I am always full and satisfied, and not tempted by all the decadent treats they constantly have in my school break room. So I worry once I get a taste of "freedom", the reigns will loosen.
Looking forward to - working out and tightening things up! I am horrible at working out at home though I will go to the gym and stay for hours and push hard, but a simple task at home has me way too lazy. I hope we can join the gym again once we are both done with the 5+1, but it was such a time suck so we will see.
MoMo!! That was NOT too much info!! Speaking for myself I'm a sponge!!!
I know I can state that my 'transition/maintenance' experience was due to there not being one. When I lost 100lbs in Canada with a medically supervised program that included shots. I decided that since the last 6 weeks were a fluctuation of the same 5 lbs that I would stop the program. They did not support my plan as I did not weigh what THEY thought I should weigh and just cut me loose without a strategy.
I feel like most maintenance failures are due to lack of planning and structure. I know I took up running almost immediately after finishing my WLJ and figured I could eat anything I wanted because I was burning so many calories. Well, it took four or five years to gain back, but gain it I did. I also avoided the scale reasoning that I had been too beholden to it for so many months when I was losing weight. Pretty weak excuse.
That is the one thing I really like about Medifast/TSFL is that they don't 'hide' the maintenance strategy from you until you've reached what they deem as your ideal weight.
Sorry I've been MIA. I've been quite ill with what appears to be gallbladder issues...I thought it was the flu that just wasn't going away. I saw my MD last Tuesday and she said I really need to be eating more healthy fats. I told her I was on Medifast and she wasn't a fan of such a low calorie/very low fat diet long term given my abdominal pain.
So, I have made some immediate changes that were not in the plan for me but I am doing it for my health. I upped my fats immediately to two extra portions per day that I eat with my LG meals. I began maintenance and switched to the 4 Medifast and 2 LG meals (doubling the fat at both of these) for last week. This all happened last Tuesday. This week I will be doing the same for meals and then next week go down to 3 Medifast meals, etc.
I got on the scale yesterday and I was down 2 lbs. from the week before so I feel like my body did not reject my changes. My abdominal pain has gotten better each day. Being a RN I'm aware of the need for healthy fat for our gallbladders to function properly and in looking back I know I was loosing weight rapidly which probably was causing my gallbladder to act up.
Another thing... I am thinking of revising my goal weight to 160. I was 150 when I got married 31 years ago and I'm not certain if 150 is realistic for this time in my life.
Above all, I am feeling better and know I am going to be just fine. Upping my fats has made me feel so much better and gave me more energy back that I know I've been missing. My focus right now is feeling better and making sure to be diligent with consuming ALL my fats with the number on the scale being secondary.
I hesitated putting this out there but it is part of the journey that I didn't anticipate and thought it might help someone down the road who might face gallbladder issues as I have.
I feel good getting back into the swing of things again.
) and then a question today about more obvious laugh lines since I lost weight. Odd questions, for sure, but hey... I'm happy to see that others are having similar situations so I'm not completely crazy 
. I plan on continuing to buy/drink it in maintenance as well!
MoMo! It is fantastic that you have joined us! I know many of us have done the big loss only to stumble with no transition plan. Please do share with us your transition experiences, the good and the difficult because I know I need to hear it!! 
I think I will do ok though, I really have de-emphasized the role of food and I hope this carries through. 
