I am 18 lbs away from my "I would feel great if I weighed" 170 goal, and 28 lbs from my "no longer considered overweight" goal of 160 (according to BMI calculator here: http://halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm).
TWINCA!! That's so exciting!!! I look forward to being in a similar boat by the end of 2017. The rate I'm losing has slowed as my activity level increased and the mess that has been an emotional June. I am over the moon happy for you!!!!
Hi all! I know I've been absent for a few weeks but like a lot of us, I've been traveling for work. The new job has me working long, long hours but it turns out to be perfect timing for the job, working from home and the great benefits it provides. My husband had rotator cuff surgery last week and will not be working for quite awhile. It was a terrible tear and he is 6 weeks in a sling before he can even begin therapy. I'm glad I was able to be here for him and provide the better insurance and income. Things do happen for a reason!
My diet... well, let's just say I am at a bit of an impasse myself. Like you Laura, I've bent the rules somewhat. I haven't gained but I haven't lost either. I'm starting to wonder if this is my intended weight or maybe if it should be. Things seem to have redistributed weight wise or compacted or something because at the same weight, my "thin" clothes are loser than ever.
Ideally, I'd like to get to my secret goal of 150 but I'm not sure that is realistic for me. Maybe 165 is where I am destined to be. I could live with that but on the other hand, I wonder if its because I am tired of trying to lose weight after all these months. Either way, I have changed the way I look at food, how and when I eat and just have an overall different relationship with food. I am healthier and that is the biggest win.
hello all, I feel like I have been away forever! It was nice to read all of your updates and see new people coming on board.
I fell totally off the wagon for the last couple of weeks. I have a dilemma, or a problem I would like your insight on. I changed to a 4 and 2 plan, eating either breakfast or lunch AND dinner as my Lean and Greens. I did not always get in the full vegetable amount in the earlier meal because I felt too full. Then I started to get cravings and think "well one piece of toast with my eggs is probably about the same carbs as 1.5 cups of vegetables" so was eating off plan foods like breads, potatoes, etc. Then I was not eating all 4 Medifast meals and subbing yogurts and sometimes things like nuts or fruit. The full effect of that was I eventually stopped eating Medifast meals and my Lean and Greens were not so lean nor green (and I started eating sweets and fried foods again). Net gain: 7 pounds which is a LOT considering how long it took me to lose 20.
So I am going back to 5 and 1 plan, but now I am worried. If they only way I can stay "in control" is on 5 and 1, what is going to happen when I am not doing Medifast anymore? Will I just gain it all back? It felt like I just lost my mojo and focus when I had to think about food prep for both meals. I am not sure what to do about this.
So I am going back to 5 and 1 plan, but now I am worried. If they only way I can stay "in control" is on 5 and 1, what is going to happen when I am not doing Medifast anymore? Will I just gain it all back? It felt like I just lost my mojo and focus when I had to think about food prep for both meals. I am not sure what to do about this.
Steph,
I know what you mean about the slippery slope into bad eating habits. Everyone is different but I can tell you what has worked for me. I have had to stay away from sugar and processed carbs. I won't say I have never eaten a piece of pizza or slice of bread in the past 6 months but I have saved it for special social occasions only. On a day to day basis, I stay completely away from carbs and sugar. I miss it psychologically but on the few times I have indulged, I have felt bloated and started craving more. I just have to stay away. I just can't keep that stuff in the house plain and simple.
As an FYI, For lunch yesterday, I had tuna salad. No bread, no crackers just tuna packed in water, a smashed avocado, chopped celery and peppers and a small chopped pickle. It kept me full all afternoon for about 400 calories. I didn't eat all my MF meals because I ate more at lunch. Dinner was a piece of tilapia and some "zoodles with Rao marinara sauce a sprinkle of parm cheese. I ate 3 MF yesterday instead of 4.
Now, I have not lost any additional weight in the last month but it has balanced out when I have eaten more, eaten at a social event or had some alcohol because I have only gain about 1/2 lb. I realize I need to buckle down and be disciplined not to gain any more weight and ideally lose a little more.
I remind myself every day to stay away from the slippery slope, don't buy it, don't order it, don't eat it. It is hard but remember where you want to be in the long term! You got this!
Ok, here's the thing... There's a reason that we are/were overweight: WE CANNOT CONTROL OUR EATING.
Now, if we were sitting in a room together discussing alcohol, drugs, etc., I would not be advocating the position that a bottle of whiskey or a heroin binge is okay here and there. It is not.
Food is a drug. Unfortunately, we-as food addicts--currently (and in the future) need to think about every bite of every food every single day.
Yes, this completely sucks, but it is reality.
A couple points:
First, my experience is that the key to this whole diet is to stay low carb at all times you put something in your mouth that is not a MF/Optavia food. The foods add up to about 65g carbs per day, which includes about 22g fiber. That amounts to 43g of net carbs. That gives you a bit of wiggle room during the day as long as you keep your net carbs in this range. Dinner, same deal. I'd say, keep calories under 1000 (and better 900), and net carbs at 45-60, and call it a day.
If you feel the need to "cheat" on your diet with a high carb food (bc you just cannot stand it anymore!), then just have a bite...ONE BITE! One bite of a French fry. One bite of your hubby's cheeseburger. One bite of a cookie. Then remember that YOU WANT TO BE SKINNY. One bite is 5-10 seconds of yummy. Then the rush is gone. Skinny is all day, every day.
Ok, now on to pizza. Pizza is my enemy. I love it SO dearly. I hate it so much.
Here are my tricks. My hubby and son still insist on getting pizza at least once a week. I will have two slices of TOPPINGS ONLY. Scrape off the toppings, take one bite of the crust, and toss the rest of the crust in the trash. Result: Low carbs. On these days, I typically skip one MF meal to make up for the increased calories.
Also, you know I have been binging on the Cali'flour Pizza Crusts, which are low cal and low carb and all your "green" (but not green) VEGETABLES! I am serious, these things are a total yummy miracle food. Besides pizza crusts, you can make them into taco shells, burrito shells, the base for quiche, lasagna noodles, chips. I don't know, the list goes on and on. Google it or go to their Facebook page. Miracle food I tell you.
One final point for now (since I just heard my son wake up), which is this... I really want to urge each of you to search the web to figure out your healthy BMI for your height, gender and age. I am 45 and 5'11 and I need to be around 160 for the higher end weight in the range that puts me at "normal." In other words, not "obese" (I just got out of that around 200) or even "overweight" which lasts until 160-165-ish, depending on the site. PLEASE make 100% sure the proper end goal weight for which you should be striving. This is more than just a mental number (I have one, too!), but rather the scientifically based one (my "Ugh-That-Seems-So-Far-Away-But-I-Know-I-Can-Do-It" Number). I know more than anyone that this a long haul, but the goal is to be healthy and on this planet as long as possible!
From the LiveStrong website:
"Desirable, or ideal, body weights for women are often calculated using the Hamwi Formula. According to the University of Washington, when using this formula women should weigh 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height and add 5 pounds for each additional inch over 5 feet tall. Finally, add 10 percent if you have a large frame -- or are muscular -- and subtract 10 percent if you’re small-framed. For example, a woman who is 5-foot-4 has an ideal body weight of 120 pounds if she has a medium frame, 108 pounds if she has a small frame and 132 pounds if she’s large-framed or muscular."
So according to this, I should be at 155 (140-170). SMH...
So, with that, I will sign off. As you all know, I am super supportive of everyone here, so no matter what your goal is--JUST GO FOR IT!! YOU GOT THIS!
Sheila and TWINCA, thank you for your responses. I know I have to make lifelong mental changes for the weight loss to STICK, and you both make good points about how to eat. It really is just about setting rules and sticking to them and not being "lazy" about staying on plan.
It is holiday time now and I am of course torn because of all the picnics, barbecues, parties coming up immediately but I also know there will ALWAYS be an excuse to eat off plan and not start. 4th of July, birthday parties, vacations, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc etc. That said I know tomorrow we have plans for a high carb breakfast casserole, grilled steaks and potatoes, watermelon etc. So I am not going to torture myself by making tomorrow my Day 1 restart. However I am not waiting until after the 4th because tomorrow is our big eating day. Monday I am back on 5 and 1.
So I am going back to 5 and 1 plan, but now I am worried. If they only way I can stay "in control" is on 5 and 1, what is going to happen when I am not doing Medifast anymore? Will I just gain it all back? It felt like I just lost my mojo and focus when I had to think about food prep for both meals. I am not sure what to do about this.
Hi Steph ~
I'm well into maintenance and have continued to lose and have rarely gained. Here's the thing I have learned that has helped me the most is that we are not one-size-fits-all during maintenance, in fact we all have doing MF with many different obstacles for quite some time on this board although we shared the same plan. Maintenance is really no different IMO.
I switched from 5/1 to 4/2 when I was had about 25 pounds left to goal. Switching was key for me to get some energy back and more healthy fats. I really needed to do that for my health as I had been on MF since September 2016 and I just felt bad. I have 2 friends who never switched and felt great the whole way. They have both lost 50 pounds and are close to a year into maintenance.
I keep in contact with these friends because we are in the exact same place in terms of losing all our weight with MF and finding our landing spot together to stick with for the rest of our lives. The one thing we have in common is we don't cheat. We just don't. We can't. We are all post menopausal and any time we've added higher carbs or even drank a glass of wine we easily can put on a few pounds unless we keep strict to complex carbs 50 or less, we eat B/L/D (3 meals only, no snacks) and only drink water.
Twinca mentioned carbs in her post as well as portion control. Those are my key to keep the weight off. And I avoid sugar. Mentally I have formed a new relationship with food in that it just fuels me instead of feeding my feelings. I no longer play the mental games of what I deserve nor allow myself pity parties because those only serve as opportunities to start binge eating.
This has been a long, hard fought journey of 85 pounds. I still plug my food into My Fitness Pal each morning, tape it on the refrig and that is what I eat. If someone wants to go out I always opt for a side salad with some protein on top. I can't waiver from this. Is it hard? You betcha. But gaining back the weight I lost would be SO MUCH harder.
I know some say you cannot do that "all or nothing" mantra or you set yourself up to fail. For me it was the only way not to fail. Above all, I am happy. I feel good about myself and that trickles down to all the people in my life who benefit from my sticking to my plan each and every day.
Steph, be encouraged that you caught yourself at the 7lb mark. Take control of where you are at now, get back on plan 100%. I think the habits we form while doing MF do affect maintenance. Falling off plan while on MF or during maintenance has the same affect and both require that you catch yourself. I think it is one of the best habits to learn and apply during MF and after.
Karen, thank you for sharing that! How encouraging. Am I understanding you right that you eat 50 g carbs a day in maintenance? Is that total or do you subtract fiber first like Atkins does? I am starting today and very determined to finish this weight loss journey without stopping this time! I do love your idea of only ordering salads with protein at restaurants. That sounds simple and I do enjoy a good salad, but rarely prep it at home due to all the cutting, washing, things spoiling etc.
Karen, thank you for sharing that! How encouraging. Am I understanding you right that you eat 50 g carbs a day in maintenance? Is that total or do you subtract fiber first like Atkins does? I am starting today and very determined to finish this weight loss journey without stopping this time! I do love your idea of only ordering salads with protein at restaurants. That sounds simple and I do enjoy a good salad, but rarely prep it at home due to all the cutting, washing, things spoiling etc.
Steph ~
Yes, I do subtract the fiber in keeping to 50 carbs per day. For me, and I think it is directly related to this whole menopause thing, if I go over 50 carbs the cravings start. Also, eating 3 meals per day during maintenance allows a lot more carbs at each meal vs. eating snacks, too. The snacking is what seems to take me over so I nixed it during maintenance.. I average about 400 cal per meal so still sticking to 1200 calories per day. I am 100% satisfied. Over-eating is what got me here and it is amazing how satisfying 1200 calories per day is as long as it is balanced eating.
Happy 4th of July, friends! What are you enjoying today (food and activity wise)? I have had a shake, a bar, and another shake made with coffee. Dinner is going to be a grilled burger and grilled veggies. I feel happy and excited to be back on plan. How about you all?
I have been offline since last Friday. My mom has developed dementia, either temporarily due to having to go to the hospital, or my brother's death set it off, but either way it's a new collection of stress I'm having to face. I gave myself a diet break over the long weekend and only gained 4lbs which I'll accept and move on with.
I really enjoyed what everyone had to write about what we're all going through with our food issues.
Today is a fresh start. I did enjoy some of the foods in which I indulged, but I did feel an emptiness on the day I had no vegetables. I was hungry and could not satisfy myself at all. It was not a great feeling. Back to the gym this morning and on plan 100%.
Onward and downward...
Last edited by LauraRVA42011; 07-07-2017 at 01:14 PM.
So sorry to hear of your mom's new health challenge. It is certainly hard for those that are dear to her to watch the progression. My own mom was diagnosed with it 7 years ago. It has been a long road. The one thing my family has always done is to make every holiday and every day we are with her count. I no longer visit my mom without the intention of making it the most important thing I am doing.
You are always so good at bouncing right back into diet mode when you drift. I am so glad you do that SO WELL! 4lbs is nothing with MF as you know you'll get that off quickly with your 100% commitment.
Thanks Karen! So glad to hear how well you are doing in maintenance and it gives me something to look forward to.
You know me so well! I have erased 3.2 of the 4 lbs gained by being back 100% on plan. More interesting is my body fat measurement did a drastic drop so I know my exercise regimen is paying off. Hoping now for a steady loss upcoming as I seemed to be gaining and losing the same 2lbs the last couple of weeks.
Hope everyone is doing well. I saw Joyce posting in another thread, so I know she is still out there and doing great! Would love to hear how she's enjoying maintenance and the challenges she's been facing especially with the long weekend.
I have to admit the one thing I am missing being on Medifast is the fresh fruit that is everywhere now! I wish I could figure out how to add some, just a little, because I love fresh berries and the window of them being truly fresh and available is so small...
As for me, I erased the gain and am continuing on my journey with full commitment. I'm down to a lowest weight in over five years. My smaller clothes are fitting better and I'm looking forward to the next phase of losing.
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!! Onward and downward!!!
