Karen- thank you so much for sharing your maintenance plan. I have really been wondering about maintenance and mid-September am going to Europe for 2 weeks. I know I will not be carting all of my Medifast foods with me and don't want to gain weight. Besides, eventually we all have to live off of Medifast when we all reach our goals, and it is good to know what is working for you.
Laura, - I , too, am an exerciser. I wish I could run, but I have foot issues, so I am riding the recumbent bike and lifting weights. I complained to my nutritionist that I am feeling sooooo tired at the gym, and that I have a hard time making it through the cardio. She told me to a. start adding a 6th Medifast meal ( which did not work alone), and to b. start adding 1/2 lean serving before I go to the gym, if I am doing 30 minutes of cardio, which I am. I just have to figure out how to do that. I'm not into eating a chunk of meat by itself, and I don't want to cook another meal ( timewise). I just thought I'd share her solution.
I keep hovering at 209 1/2 or 210- too many social engagements. I just want to stay home and cook. But, one day at a time. I wish I could lose faster, but this is my pace, I guess.
Susan
Susan, Congratulations on your success to date! I was in Europe for 2 weeks earlier this year and came home to find my weight had stayed the same to the ounce. It was a huge victory for me. My trick was eating as many veggies and protein as I could in a normal environment but I always ate less than was served to me. I actually shared meals with my mother who is petite with a small appetite. Maintaining awareness of food consumption was the key. I know you can do it!
Laura, I am betting you have hit that 60 lb mark by now. You have been so inspiring with your drive and determination. Even when you don't feel it, I see you coming back with your eyes on the prize! I need to go back and re-read some of your posts. I'm been slack and am disappointed with my eating this week. I haven't been on the scale and I know that is bad for me. I have to become more accountable to myself and get back to weight loss but more importantly, stabilization of my eating habits. Mindfulness ....I need more of it!
Karen I really liked your comments about wine. I also love red wine but have cut back almost altogether on wine. If I want a drink, I also add some high quality vodka to club soda and have a bit of lemon and lime with it. The summer weekends have been difficult given the social events. Its time to get more serious!
So, I think you all get the picture. I feel myself backsliding and I want to stop before it gets out of control. Part of that is going to be to come back here and start holding myself accountable on this board. It has always been so helpful. Busy or not, I need to come in and post. As I type this, I have a webex on my other monitor (listen only mode)... Our company is moving to GSuite (Google business suite) from Microsoft. Just FYI, its very functional but the transition is tricky because we will have people on both platforms for the next 6 months.
Have a great day!
Sheila, I wish. Unfortunately the 3lbs are coming off way slower than they went on. I'm in my TOM and feeling a little depressed. I hate stepping on the scale knowing I did everything right the day before and having .1 lb come off. I was researching diets for runners and I really couldn't reconcile increasing carbs 400% and believe I'd still lose.
We're going to the movies again this Friday (The Dark Tower - husband a huge fan of the books), and I'm distraught that I cannot enjoy a drink like I did last week because it derailed me. I know I could have just one (I had 2 last time and being dirty martinis they had lots of sodium on top of the alcohol) but I'm gun shy. Even last night, I poured a glass of wine for my husband and wouldn't have one myself because I still hadn't undone the weekend damage.
I don't know how much longer I'm going to put up with this because life is short and I am growing weary after 8 months of this. I travel to Charlotte again next week so there's another minefield of dietary challenges. I find myself in another wave of grief over losing my brother. It just hit me out of the blue but now it hovers over me. Maybe that's why I'm rethinking everything. You only live once, give it your best shot, don't be miserable about where you're not, make the best of where you are. Sorry I'm rambling... I know I'm usually the one who is my own best cheerleader, but man, this latest setback has been tough. There were other weekends where I went really off the rails and saw less damage on the scale. Maybe my increased exercise is contributing to the stall, I don't know. I know I don't want to stop exercising.
No need to worry about being a downer because this is the place to express those feeling and hopefully get some support. Keeping these things to yourself - at least for me, allows me to fall into that downward spiral.
Feeling the loss of your brother so keenly is normal. In my experience, these feelings continue to bubble up for a very, very long time, often at the most unexpected times. Grief is difficult and we all have to deal with it in our own way.
I agree that life is short and we need to do those things that bring us the most joy and satisfaction. There is a difference between the long-term and short-term goals and satisfaction. You have committed yourself for a very long time to that long-term goal of weight loss. That can become a burden at times. Perhaps giving yourself permission to pause the weight loss and focus on weight-maintenance for a period of time is an option for you. I have been on a "pause" since the end of May and maintained until just the past 2 weeks. I now look at my weight (which has now increased by 5lbs from my lowest) and feel inspired to return to plan with a renewed focused. I (and you and us all) have worked to hard to just backslide and give it all up.
In short, my advice to you is to give yourself permission to take a break and just focus on eating healthy and living well. Be kind to yourself by giving yourself a break from the diet mentality. Allow yourself to grieve the loss of your brother, enjoy a drink with your husband with an eye toward being aware of portions and volumes. Stay engaged here and see if a short mental break helps. It may even help your body by confusing it slightly and deviating from your routine.
Sheila thank you so much for the encouragement. The funny thing is, with this plan, I am inclined to 'fear' foods that in other diets are healthy staples: legumes, quinoa, sweet potatoes etc. That is the ONE thing I dislike about Medifast. Those things, while incorporated into their fuelings, are not something we are to be trusted with consuming on our own.
As I find myself in this struggle period, I'm going to adapt a One Day At A Time approach and avoid this "all or nothing" thinking that I've fallen into. I'm going to make the best choices I can and let the rest go.
I agree with you on the all-or-nothing. I live my life by it FAR TOO MUCH! I encourage you to do what is right for you. I had so many days on the nearly year I've been on MF where I have mentally derailed myself and have gotten off track for a few meals and then watched the scale move up and began the start of the repeated pattern in my life of not sticking to what I know would get the weight off. I think the benefit I found with MF is that you can drop weight fairly quick if you keep at it 100%. I never could do too many meals less than 100% or I would stall or gain. My body is sensitive if I added too many carbs or wine, etc. BUT my body has been like that since menopause. I found that the only way I was going to stay on MF was to not allow myself to cheat because cheating would just prolonged having to be on MF so much longer. 100% on plan got me to goal much quicker and in maintenance where I feel like I can eat normal food again using the tool of portion control that I learned while on MF.
You're right, MF doesn't let too many of the healthy foods into the diet plan so at the 8 month mark this gets difficult to mentally and physically stick to for anyone. I wonder if your food ratio to your exercise routine is leaving your body depleted? Remember that happened to me and I started having gallbladder issues. I really had to back off on too much exercise or I started feeling lousy again. MF calories are pretty low to add in much exercise. I wonder if your exercise goals are conflicting with your weight loss goals. What is your energy like lately? You might need to add in some extra protein to sustain what your body needs both physically and mentally.
I've rambled a lot here. My bottom line thought is that you've worked so hard to get to this place that I just want to encourage you to not lose your momentum. I suspect you do need some more protein and maybe that alone is what is needed to sustain you. Above all, be proud of what you've accomplished.
I hear you on the red wine. I have physically given up drinking it but mentally still think about it. I'm not sure if this happen to you but it seem that any type of alcohol causes me to retain water - A LOT! I don't know any science behind that but maybe it is a simple as me not drinking enough water on the day I have a drink!
I think of all the myriad of diets I have been on MF has been the only one that worked fairly quick AND I've been able to maintain for many months now. I'm glad that you are feeling the push to tighten up your food plan. We all know how much better we feel and look when we drop some weight. Maybe summer is the struggle with all the social stuff that we have to navigate through. Dieting during the winter seemed easier (minus the holidays).
I like our board of accountability, too. It has kept me aware and on the plan that keeps me at goal.
Susan ~
I've taken all the great tools I've learned on Medifast and applied them to my maintenance phase. It has been working great.
It is hard when you know you've got a chunk of time where MF will not fit very well. Just do your best while away and chalk up those weeks to be whatever they are keeping yourself aware of making the best healthy choices you can. MF will be here for you when you get back! Enjoy your trip.
Karen, thanks for your insight. I always appreciate your perspective. I was discussing it with my husband last night and expressed that it's not like I want to eat junk food or anything! Just normal healthy food!! You're right about the exercise impact. I don't want to give up running so I need to find the right balance. Interesting that you think I need more protein. I may give that a try. When I saw the carb recommendations for runners diets I almost fainted!! I know I've come far and I'm literally ounces away from 240 and 60lbs gone so I'm not throwing in the towel by any means. I am having a hard time reading my energy levels because of the emotional weights I have on my mind. My husband says I'm my own worst critic and so hard on myself; maybe if I lighten up mentally, it will reflect on the scale - LOL.
I'm pleased that I erased last weekend's gain... in time for the next weekend.. grrrr... I will figure this out!!
Karen, thanks for your insight. I always appreciate your perspective. I was discussing it with my husband last night and expressed that it's not like I want to eat junk food or anything! Just normal healthy food!! You're right about the exercise impact. I don't want to give up running so I need to find the right balance. Interesting that you think I need more protein. I may give that a try. When I saw the carb recommendations for runners diets I almost fainted!! I know I've come far and I'm literally ounces away from 240 and 60lbs gone so I'm not throwing in the towel by any means. I am having a hard time reading my energy levels because of the emotional weights I have on my mind. My husband says I'm my own worst critic and so hard on myself; maybe if I lighten up mentally, it will reflect on the scale - LOL.
I'm pleased that I erased last weekend's gain... in time for the next weekend.. grrrr... I will figure this out!!
Thanks again for your support and encouragement!
Laura ~
Why I mention more protein is that it would increase your caloric intake to help with the extra calories you're burning, without increasing carbs. That will keep you in ketosis, which is key on the MF plan. Protein also helps with building and repairing muscles. I normally added 3-5 oz. of protein to my day only because of exercise and I usually cut my carbs back like no higher carb MF snacks.
Karen I switched to 4&2 a few months back when it seemed like I was stalling and the weight wasn't coming off. I do add a little protein now and then. Best example was earlier this week when I had an early morning run and found myself falling down tired. I had some eggs and immediately started to feel normal again.
Last edited by LauraRVA42011; 08-03-2017 at 03:54 PM.
Hey all, it's Sunday and I've excelled this weekend. I went to the movies and did have one drink. Between the Thurs night party and the drink on Friday I recorded a 1.5lb gain Saturday morning. I went 100% on plan and kept a close eye on my carbs. I successfully erased the gain and hit my 60lb milestone!
It was a struggle I'll admit. At one point I saw a really amazing looking ice cream cone on an Instagram post and it took EVERYTHING in my will to not give in and get one. Eventually it passed but before it did I came up with a strategy of making "soft serve" out of a Medifast shake in case I couldn't shake the urge.
My TOM is ending so I hope to have fewer manic moments. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Going to try a new strategy today. I accidentally left my lunch at home so today I'm going to do 5:1. It is also not an exercise day (I may do weights at lunch). Tomorrow is a scheduled run day so I'm going to return to 4:2 on that day. Perhaps alternating the programs into a modified Up Day Down Day strategy might shake things up.
How was everyone else's weekend?? Onward and downward!!
You did it! 60 lbs is history! What a milestone being so close to your halfway mark.
Great navigation on the weekend food and finding what works and keeps you losing.
I did a lot of switching back and forth from 5/1 and 4/2 in those last few months and I think it was good to switch it up a bit. Also, if you are not planning on doing any hardcore exercise 5/1 is perfect. My sedentary days I found I felt too full on the 4/2 IF I didn't exercise.
Weekends are easier for me when I have a clear calendar, which I did. The routine of the work-week seems to keep my eating in line.
I'm so glad you are on this side of your weight loss journey.
Got up too early this morning but it gave me the opportunity to fuel before my run. I'm feeling like I'm getting into a groove with my run training and I'm pleased. My 5&1 day yesterday went well, I was not hungry at all. Today I'm eating more closely together this morning as a result of my run, but the afternoon will be more spaced out as the day progresses.
Hope everyone is doing well on their plans!! Onward and downward!!
