Hello all,

I stumbled across this thread and am so glad to find it. I hope I can join in! I made the decision yesterday to do Medifast. With menopause I have gained 15-20 lbs that have made me miserable in that every thing I've done to try to take the weight off has failed. I was thinking back to the only time I was successful on a diet and that was many years ago (30 or more) when I did Jenny Craig. What made the program work for me was the counseling/accountability. Fortunately I live just a few miles from a Medifast store.
I did a whole lot of research online, and it seems to be a program that people say really works. I was excited to see that it is relatively low carb and puts you in or close to a state of ketosis. I tried Keto last year and found it worked--quickly--but I fell off, again I think because of lack of accountability. I live alone and have no one to lean on; moreover, I start to feel so good after I lose 10 lbs or so that I let down my guard, have a "cheat" day and there goes the diet. This has been a pattern for a few years now.
Anyway, glad to see you here, and wish me luck. I'm travelling this week for work, so my plan is to officially start a week from tomorrow. Tomorrow, however, I will call to make my initial appointment. Oh how I hope this works for me!

Original poster here, and long time forum user.

I should’ve lasted longer than 3 days when I posted back in July since I’m now up to 229. Well, it was definitely a good food run, but I have to get this under control. So, alas, here I am at Day 1 - Again. Oddly, my last successful journey (65 lbs lost) started on 12/01/2017 so at least I can look back on that as motivation with almost exact timing.

Day 1 (11/27/2018): 229 lbs.

Goal: 179 lbs. (-50 lbs.) by 06/30/2019

Interim goal: ONEderland—> 199 lbs. (-30 lbs.) by 01/31/2019.

DID IT BEFORE, CAN DO IT AGAIN!

Day 1:
7:00 AM - MF Chocolate pudding
9:30 AM - MF Chocolate Brownie (LOL-I don’t heat them. I just eat the chocolate “soup”. No judgements.)
11:00 AM - Optavia cinnamon swirl coffee cake
1:30 PM - MF Sour cream & chive mashed potatoes
3:00 PM - Optavia Chocolate coconut curry bar (these are surprisingly yummy)
5:30 PM - Chicken breast on Spinach salad, with some shredded cheddar and blue cheese dressing.

Drank at least 128 oz water

Calories: 880
Protein: 96 g
Carbs: 72 g
Fiber: 21 g
Fat: 34 g

Overall feeling ok. Have the low carb headache, but know that will disappear by day 3.

DAY 1 = SUCCESS!

One day at a time, one week at a time, one pound at a time...

Really surprised this board is so dead. I posted above at the beginning of my Medifast diet, with no response. My local Medifast Center, however, appears to be thriving with the amount of people I see there when I go for my weekly weigh in. Where is everyone online?
Started in late October and am on week 6 now. I've lost 12 lbs with 6 more to go. It is slow now--1 or 1.5 lbs a week--but I don't mind. The program really works and I'm enjoying it! Best of all I've lost the extreme cravings for sweets I used to have. The Center counselors are just great.

Just found this thread. Ive been looking for an online forum. I hope I can join in.
Im a little older. I will be 70 on my next birthday. And a little taller at 5'10".
I started Optavia on November 1st at 237 pounds. Ive lost 23 pounds so far.
My goal is to get back into my old size 16 pants that I wore when I tucked in my shirt and wore a belt.
So probably around 170 pounds. Ill know when I get there.

I weigh in each morning but I don't obsess. Way back before my life fell apart and I lost myself that's how I kept my weight down.
So Im trying to get into that habit again. I have been strictly following the 5&1 program. Im a late night person so I do my meal around 6 pm.

Ive started to use my coach in name only too. I kinda feel bad because Ive been avoiding her. But shes getting on my last nerve.
Im 69 Im not 20. I know Im overweight but Im not traumatized over it. I just want to fit into my old pants.
I don't think Im ugly and I have plenty of self esteem. I know why Im fat and I don't want to post about it on Facebook. Sorry. Didn't mean to rant.

I lost 160 lbs on Medifast a few years ago. My coach hounded me to become a coach I was struggling mentally with the new me and it all went south fast. Ive gained it back due to not transitioning at all, letting myself binge to cope and stopping therapy.

I'm trying again this time with online help only. Medifast works for sure but you HAVE to transition slowly and if you get a coach hopefully they won't push you to coach. There's a ton of money in that but it's a huge pyramid thing and I needed to focus on my health and mental issues.

Good luck and hope to hear more.

Im on Optavia (same thing different name). Im not into transition yet. Got a few more pounds to lose. Losing that 160 pounds must have took a lot of willpower and determination on your part.

I know the coach is making money off what I order. (15%) I didn't know it was a pyramid thing though. I haven't been pushed to coach but the person who referred me has been. Now I wonder if that's why they referred me. To placate their coach. LOL.

Im looking into online too. Ive found that I feel more comfortable discussing personal things when Im an anonymous face. Also Im not sure that whatever I discussed wouldn't be repeated to the person who referred me.

I was so happy to find this forum. Medifast used to have a community but they closed it down a few years ago.

It's really nice to be able to communicate with others who are going through the same thing. I need to get my stress-eating under control and I hope I can do it this time. I lost 37 pounds on Medifast (using Take Shape for Life and a coach) back in 2011/2012. I do not want a coach again because she was a successful one, which meant she push-push-pushed referrals and coaching. It was aggravating.

Hello. This sounds like the Ideal Protein diet and there is a thread for that on here too.

Congrats on the progress you were able to maintain! And for getting back on track! The holidays were rough for me, too... And although I thought I made healthy choices I still gained a little weight. I just got my Medifast Wednesday.. Today is my day 2. I have hypothyroidism (with Hashi's), so my metabolism is challenged. I also got some Wonderslim products and Bariwise products. Am just starting to feel grumpy and have a headache (withdraw from sugar & processed foods). Am feeling hopeful but I know it will be a process. I take some prescriptions that result in weight gain, so I hope this will still work. Even if it just stops the gaining I'd be happy.
Am not going to weigh for a couple weeks.. I know I'll have water weight loss at first.
Please update and share your progress and journey! Your post is inspiring! 💐💐💐

Welcome GiGiQue2Lose!

Hi everyone! Glad to see some Medifast and Optavia threads! I’m doing Medifast through a center, but we just got word that it is closing and they are transitioning to Optavia online only. This is a repeat time doing the program. I’ve had success on it previously, but have never done the transition or maintenance. I seem to get stuck at about 30 pounds lost. I start feeling better, get tired of the food, and go back to old habits.

My weight loss counselor at the center is moving on to become an Optavia coach once the center closes. I was telling her some of my challenges with staying on program and she recommended the Healthy Habits book and workbook. Has anyone used that as a tool? Just curious.

Please let me know how all of you are doing. Let’s revive this thread!

I have the Healthy Habits book. I need to keep reading it because in the past I've done the same thing with not transitioning properly. I know the program works so I need to keep at it.