[sheilaE]

Susan and Avery I also struggled with coffee issue. I love french vanilla coffee mate. My husband suggested I just "gut it out" for a week with black coffee. He did the same and after a week well, let's just say I don't drink as much coffee as I did but I can live with black coffee. It is still not my favorite but it is something I did for the greater good of losing weight and getting healthy. My health coach told me that if I wanted to use something, use half and half. I also make my morning shake with cold coffee and ice. I put any leftover coffee in a pitcher in the fridge to use in shakes.

You are both doing so well. Stay the course because you will be rewarded with the weight loss. It's very satisfying. I feel so much better, sleep better, fit into all my old clothes and can walk by sweets now with only a passing glance. I did take it a day at a time. In April I only lost about 3 pounds. This month I am already down 4 pounds so you just never know when it will come off.

Sheila

[TWINCA]

FINALLY weighed myself... Goodbye 200's and hello 197 = ONEderland! Yay! I'm now also 1 pound from 50 pounds overall.

[JEN.CA]

Originally Posted by TWINCA

FINALLY weighed myself... Goodbye 200's and hello 197 = ONEderland! Yay! I'm now also 1 pound from 50 pounds overall.

Congrats TwinCa! That is awesome Doesn't that feel the best. I also had a small victory this morning, I finally got over the 190 hurdle. I felt like I was never going too but it happened but it did.

[LauraRVA42011]

Yay on the wonderful losses!!!! TWINCA and Jen! You're rocking this!!!


I am beyond regretting my Cinco de Mayo cheat day. I really should have remembered the "it takes 3 days to undo carb overload". Been the same weight for 2 days and only took off 0.6 of the 3 lb overnight gain. So annoying!!

On a good note, I've stayed the course, did a little running outside yesterday and feel really good. Just the stupid scale is no cooperating, but I am noticing the latest level of clothes I'm in are getting looser too...

[Hikerdreams]

Congratulations to Twinca, Jen and Sheila for your losses. I can't wait to cross into Onederland, but I have a ways to go. I am inching down in the 220's right now. Beginning of Day 4... Is it okay to have the Lean and Green meal for lunch, say if you are going out with friends? Does that work pretty well for you, too? I haven't ventured into a restaurant yet. I figure I can get either steak, or grilled chicken, or a burger without a bun or the good old standard.... grilled chicken salad. What kind of dressing do you order on your salads? Thanks for your ideas, words of wisdom and all. Your journeys are inspiring!
Susan

[JEN.CA]

Originally Posted by Hikerdreams

Congratulations to Twinca, Jen and Sheila for your losses. I can't wait to cross into Onederland, but I have a ways to go. I am inching down in the 220's right now. Beginning of Day 4... Is it okay to have the Lean and Green meal for lunch, say if you are going out with friends? Does that work pretty well for you, too? I haven't ventured into a restaurant yet. I figure I can get either steak, or grilled chicken, or a burger without a bun or the good old standard.... grilled chicken salad. What kind of dressing do you order on your salads? Thanks for your ideas, words of wisdom and all. Your journeys are inspiring!
Susan

Hikermdreams- I can't remember exactly but someone did post on here that they had grilled chicken out at a restaurant and that the seasonings or sodium was very high and they were bloated after and had a weight gain. So I would be careful

[LauraRVA42011]

Yes, that would be me. If you like seafood, restaurants get the better quality, fresher fish. My go to in restaurants is usually salmon or shrimp because it buys you more wiggle room on fats. Many chain restaurants likely take in pre-brined chicken so that's where the sodium is hiding. In the restaurant where I saw the ridiculous gain after eating the grilled chicken salad I changed my order to pulled chicken with a side of steamed broccoli and I've not had a similar experience since.

[LauraRVA42011]

Happy Monday!!

Sheila I didn't get a chance to address your note to me. I have learned so much from you about how food and exercise affect me. My slow erasing of the 3 lb gain I think has a lot to do with my adding running to my routine. I think it was you who mentioned that muscle reconstruction after exercise tends to hold water and I've noticed on my scale that my water weight is higher than it has been in recent days so I take that as solace that I'm doing things right and to not be so beholden to the scale number (as hard as that is). I have noticed my smaller clothes are starting to slowly feel looser lately.

I loved your experience at the grocery store. I'm getting like that too. I still look at some of the organic snacks (chips and popcorn were my weakness) but I know they have no role in this journey and it makes it easier to walk by. It's funny, last night I was thinking about life after Medifast and what I 'miss' eating right now. The only thing that came to mind was toast with peanut butter (a go-to snack since I was a kid). This morning, I was preparing spiced pancakes that I got from my MIL yesterday and mixed up a tbsp of PB2 with some water and drizzled it over the pancakes. It was fantastic and exactly what I loved about peanut butter on toast.

My husband had gone to visit his mom last week and returned yesterday with a LITERAL garbage bag full of Optavia and Medifast meals that she did not return and didn't want as the food was incompatible with her. Interestingly, my last order I placed was lacking breakfast stock and that is what she ended up sending me (quite coincidentally as we hadn't talked prior). I have a great stock now with a fantastic variety. Next week I travel again for work, the second time since I started this journey. Now that I'm on 4&2 I will have a different strategy. This time I packed bars and crunchers so I don't have to haul around bowls, measuring cups and utensils. I will likely have egg white omelettes at the hotel and dinner out. I will be working an afternoon/overnight shift in the control room so I don't know when to eat exactly, so that will be a challenge. (Sheila you're in technology I think, I work in Release Management and we have an integrated release upcoming that is quarterly and there needs to be a manned control room which is why I travel).

Have a great week everyone!!

[LauraRVA42011]

Me again. I need to talk about the little things. Last week, I had gotten my car washed one day and then NEXT day my rear end was bombarded by birds! I was so annoyed since I didn't want to drop another $7 for a rinsing wash. I had tried to clean the back of my car with a damp cloth but that just moved all the poop around.

It continued to bother me and then on Saturday, I got a bucket and sponge to wash the back end of my car. Since our hose was still turned off, I rinsed by dumping buckets of clear water on it until it was all clean. There was a lot of back and forth from the sink to the car like I was trying to put out a fire in olden times.

So, what is my point about little things? 45 lbs ago I wouldn't even entertain the thought of washing my car myself, and the fact that I did it quite unconsciously without being uncomfortable or in any pain absolutely blows my mind! The same day I washed the car, I had gone for a stroll downtown and later went for a walk around my neighborhood during which I tossed in running intervals (the first time running outside in over a year) which amounted to a Saturday with over 11,000 steps!!

The reality of being able to be an active individual means so much more to me than a number on the scale. I think that's why the latest bump from my cheat day is not eating away at my spirit, because it's just a number. Being able to enjoy my life with activity is my true gauge of victory!

[kwalk50]

Originally Posted by LauraRVA42011

Me again. I need to talk about the little things. Last week, I had gotten my car washed one day and then NEXT day my rear end was bombarded by birds! I was so annoyed since I didn't want to drop another $7 for a rinsing wash. I had tried to clean the back of my car with a damp cloth but that just moved all the poop around.

It continued to bother me and then on Saturday, I got a bucket and sponge to wash the back end of my car. Since our hose was still turned off, I rinsed by dumping buckets of clear water on it until it was all clean. There was a lot of back and forth from the sink to the car like I was trying to put out a fire in olden times.

So, what is my point about little things? 45 lbs ago I wouldn't even entertain the thought of washing my car myself, and the fact that I did it quite unconsciously without being uncomfortable or in any pain absolutely blows my mind! The same day I washed the car, I had gone for a stroll downtown and later went for a walk around my neighborhood during which I tossed in running intervals (the first time running outside in over a year) which amounted to a Saturday with over 11,000 steps!!

The reality of being able to be an active individual means so much more to me than a number on the scale. I think that's why the latest bump from my cheat day is not eating away at my spirit, because it's just a number. Being able to enjoy my life with activity is my true gauge of victory!

Laura ~

I remember the first day you began posting to this Medifast board and were awaiting your food. You've come a VERY LONG way my dear friend. Isn't it amazing what 45 lbs keeps us from doing or wanting to do???

I am so happy for you that you are embracing tasks you've missed with wide open arms and your joyful spirit. It always makes me feel good to know that losing weight helps us conquer so much stuff when we are no longer dragging around all that extra weight.

You have accomplished much. Be very proud of that!

Karen

[LauraRVA42011]

KAREN!! I was literally thinking about you this morning! It feels like it's been a while and I was wondering how you were doing in transition/maintenance-land. You and all the others on this thread continue to inspire me to be my best self, so I thank you!!

[kwalk50]

Originally Posted by LauraRVA42011

KAREN!! I was literally thinking about you this morning! It feels like it's been a while and I was wondering how you were doing in transition/maintenance-land. You and all the others on this thread continue to inspire me to be my best self, so I thank you!!

Laura ~

I am doing great! I got under my goal weight this week so what I am doing is clearly working. It feels good to have reached goal. I'm concentrating on complete clean eating and it has really helped me get to a lower weight along with a good deal more energy that I did not have for most of my early Medifast months.

I thought in my mind that maintenance was going to be so hard but being able to eat real food again for all meals really makes this easier in some ways as long as I keep using the tools I learned while on the packaged food regarding portion size and such.

You'll be here before you know it! I am glad you are doing so well.

Karen

[JEN.CA]

Good Morning. So I went to the doctor today to get a general check-up and to go over my lab results and decided to tell my doctor that I'm doing the Medifast plan. He was completely floored and said that it was the worst thing I could do for my body and that I am deficient on every single vitamin according to my labs. I'm really confused at this point on what to do as Medifast is working for me and I'm down a total of 17 pounds which I could have never lost without the help from Medifast. I don't think he changed my mind since I see that it works

[LauraRVA42011]

Jen, that is shocking! When plugging the nutrition in the Medifast meals in MFP my vitamin consumption is off the charts! My hair dresser even noted that my hair was growing faster since I started eating this way. Sorry you don't have a supportive GP. So glad my cardiologist was all in with supporting me!

[Hikerdreams]

Jen,
My endocrinologist runs Medifast out of her office with the help of a nutritionist. I am also afraid to tell my Internist who doesn't believe in diets. However, he has been advocating Gastric Bypass surgery. I'd sure rather do this than surgery! I know the trick will be in making it stick once I get to my goal.

Karen, it is great to hear you maintaining and eating healthy at your goal.
It is Day 5 for me! Made it through, although I am still looking longingly at the food I can't eat. I think results of weight loss will help me stay motivated. I'm still at the "Wish this weight would come off faster, so I could see results," stage. When I'm eating this little, it seems like it should just melt away. I guess it does slowly- Patience, I know...

Avery, how is it going?

Susan