I always soak my soups and have to add, at the very least, salt and pepper. Nothing, though, is going to taste like you think it should at first. I think that's the key. When you think "chicken and wild rice soup," you can probably taste Campbell's or Progresso. It's not like that.

I still don't *love* any of the food. It tastes good and it's satisfying. What it has done has made me quit obsessing over the taste of food. I don't keep eating anymore because it tastes soooo good. I think this must be what most food is like for some thin people I know who seem disinterested in eating.

Where is my signature and why isn't it in the User CP?

I agree with you Magnolia! The food is ok... and at this point you don't really eat for pleasure but then again... I LOVE modifying MF food by cooking it... so I guess it depends on personal taste

Thanks Michelle, Andrea, SweetP and everyone else that was happy for me reaching the Onederlands!!!

Hi, fellow MF-ers!
I'm not finding much time of late to check in here--but have been trying to keep up with the posts.
Congrats, Flo!!!!
Welcome to all the new folks!
You have all made a great choice with MF--I'm sooooo glad I started 10 weeks ago. And I found alot of inspiration to start on this forum. Thank you, Maya--where ever you are. I know we all can't wait to hear from you again! And thanks to Meowee and RuthXXX and Fab50 (Tex) and Lettingslendin for all of your supportive and helpful posts. Sending love to everyone--

Things are going smoothly here and I plan to move into maintenance in 3-4 more weeks.
Since I started this MF-ing diet on Nov. 14, 2007 I've lost 33 pounds. I am now 11 pounds away from my goal. I'm wearing size 10. I'm jogging daily. AND I'm loving it! (Ummmm...my healthy life, not ) I haven't weighed this low since grad school in the early 90s!
The good news is ALL of you can be successful. Stick to it, it's sooo worth it. And you are more than worth it!


Later,
Carol

Do you guys worry about the calories being too low and having our bodies go into starvation mode and slowing metabolism down? I tried to vary my calories between 1,200 and 1,500 for about 5 months because I was convinced that my metabolism would slow down. I really didn't lose very fast.

Day 2 almost done. I have a cold and am not hungry so may not get all of the MF in. I am sure that won't be a problem in a week!

I love the cappuccino! I'll try chai but I am a bit afraid to!

How are the other newbies doing??

Hi Brooke,
I haven't added a link before so I don't know if this will work. If not, there's a post title Ketosis at the top of the medifast forum and that explains it.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=130572

I was concerned about my metabolism slowing down, too. But it sounds like
this diet is really different than what I've done in the past.

I tried the spaghetti squash for dinner with homemade meatballs and WF marinara. It turned out pretty well. I posted about that in the What's for Lean and Green thread.

I went to my dad's today and he kind of raised his eyebrows at my chili for lunch. On the other hand, he sat there and told me if he weighed less he'd probably not have to take his Type 2 Diabetes meds.

I'm sorry, Flo. Welcome to Onederland.

Carol... You're giving me strength. In roughly two months you've lost 33 pounds. If I can do something close to that, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Brooke...I've wondered that, too. I've also seen that the weight loss does slow down some from posts on myMedifast and SuccessinMotion. Still, it seems faster than some other weight loss programs I've tried.

Andrea...I plan on transitioning back to WW eventually. I liked the freedom of the points system and I think it will be helpful for maintaining weight loss. I miss those 35 points a week. That's what I used to use for weekend eating out.

Hi Brooke,

Since there was no mail today:-( I am hoping that my package comes tomorrow. I am really getting anxious but I keep reading the posts so I can see what I can and can not do and get some ideas for spicing up the foods.

WOW Carol...that was a great weigh lost in a little over two months. That shows me that I can do it!!! I would love to lost at least 50 lbs by June. That is my short term goal. My husband and I are going away for Father's Day and my birthday and I would love to surprise him with a little something something...Then I would like to lose the last 10-20 lbs by August/September. I am commited to working the plan.

Hey ladies,

Things are stilk going good my side of this world... Just havin some love life issues... I guess i am at a crossroad and I need to do something.... I just can't wrap around to what I should do... I haven't cheated off the diet though... thought about it but ... it was not worth it...

Borders: My goal is to loose 60 pounds by June also (my daughter's second Bday)! We can do this together and keep each other accountable!!! When i go to my Medifast center in TX they told me that the average weight loss is about 3 pounds a week so... It is way feasible

Carol: Thanks girl! I was wondering if you could post your recipe for the food that you take on the road... I can't quite remember what the name in English for it is... it is not cupcakes but kind of look like it... Sorry i am having a french moment

Kim: Thanks for the welcome I am gonna check your recipe... I have a spaghetti squash in the fridge and do not know what to do with it...

Well anyway the diet is still going strong... just working on my personal life... sometime i wish someone could make the decisions for me...

Good evening all.

Dearest Flo,
Oatmeal pancakes - yuck.

I went to see Cloverfield last night. Everyone's saying really rotten things about it, but I loved it! However, I also LOVE "B" movies. Ya know, those giant fly movies on the Sci Fi channel. Some say I have bad taste - I say I'm just easily satisfied. I walked right past the popcorn and didn't flinch that much. (I was able to wear a shirt, 1X, that I haven't been able to wear in 2 years!!)

Then today I had to drive 2 and a half hours to drop off my kiddo and 2 and a half hours back. My girls wanted fast food, still no problem. Having to whizz every 20 minutes - huge problem!!

Great job everyone!

Flo,
Poor girl....I hope everything works out for you. Let us know if we can help.

50 by June would be great!!

Ok, I read to mix the cr of bocc with 3 oz of water and put it in the microwave. Maybe I did something wrong but it was nasty. It looked like baked slime! I think I'd rather have it with broccoli added and maybe a few seasonings.

Chai, tried that and took it up to my daughter to drink. She only had 3 MF today and it's 8:30pm.

Borders, Lisa right? The hardest part is knowing what to eat and making sure I eat enough. I am at that scared to eat stage, not knowing. You could print the lists of what you can have from the MF site and put it somewhere to help. It is actually not easy to get 5 in while working right now. That's a good thing!

Does anyone know if it's a problem to have hot drinks instead of the shakes? They are interchangeable, correct? I might want to do 1 bar, 2 shakes and 2 cappuccinos. Since the hot is less calories that the shakes, wouldn't that offset the xtra in the bar?

Day 2 done, I am going to bed with my cold. I have a heated blanket, I don't know how I survived before. It's 8 degrees outside, 68 in the house but it's still cold.

Hi, Flo!
Muffins.
That's what I make to travel with. And I'll be eating several this weekend on the way to Germany. Below is the basic recipe that I've been adapting. I took it straight off the MF site. I do prefer to make mini-muffins. I find that if I use 5 packets of oatmeal--that I end up with two dozens mini muffins. That's a nice amount of goodies to take up the day. Then you can just add your lean and green. If you use an egg--you can take it off your "lean."

In case anyone needs to be told, these are not the best muffins of all time--but what do you expect we are trying to lose weight? You can't beat their convenience-factor. I freeze them in a zipper bag right after I cook them and they stay moist as they thaw.

COWGIRL STARTER-MUFFIN RECIPE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.....
This recipe is for 12 muffins/6 mf meals (not mini-muffins)
• 4 packets oatmeal
• 2 packets scrambled eggs
• 6 tblspn flax seed
Splenda - you decide how much...I use several tbsp.
• 8 packets True Lemon (powdered lemon - o carbs - found in most supermarkets or online) It's the flavor-equivalent of 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice...but lemon juice won't work here.
• salt (or not)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. any flavor extract(s)
• 1/2 cup Torani (or other) sugar-free syrup
• 1 cup water

Put EVERYTHING in the bowl at once...beat it with electric beater at high for around 2 minutes...and get 12 HUGE muffins. 2 per meal. MIX WELL. This mixture will fizz up as the chemicals in the lemon and baking soda and syrup mix...makes for a higher volume with oxygen bubbles in the mix...

Spray muffin tins with Crisco fat free spray...and spoon mix equally into 12 tins.

Tip - stick your two fingers (index and tallest) into water, then lightly pat each muffin so that they are all flat on top. Keep wetting your fingers as you need to. The mix should end up being/looking slightly "wet" on top.

Then stick in the oven and do not touch them until the timer buzzes after 45 minutes. Turn the pans upside down and pop them out, let the muffins cool upside down on the counter...and WAY BEFORE YOU EAT THEM - put them into a plastic bag in the fridge for at least 30-45 minutes.

Keeping them refrigerated and cold will keep them moist.

Suggested Versions:

Almond and Vanilla Extract + Almond SF syrup (best); Maple and Vanilla Extract + cinnamon + Irish Cream SF syrup; Maple and Vanilla Extract + Pumpkin Pie Spice _ Caramel or Hazelnut SF syrup; vanilla extract + ginger + cinnamon + Almond Roca SF syrup.

1 blueberry oatmeal + 1 peach oatmeal + 1 apple cinnamon oatmeal + 1 maple brn sugar oatmeal.

By the way, this is in no way a comparison with the recent recipe using vinegar and baking soda...try everything...eat what works.

Gee, I hope I haven't been entirely naughty by copying/pasting this. There are other recipes there for more muffins and beyond...way beyond. Please pay you respects to the MF website recipe forum.

Carol

Carol: I found the word i was looking for! M_U_F_F_I_N_S!!!

Thanks for answering so fast... I am glad you all understood what i was trying to say!!!

Ok ladies, here is my personal problem... any advice would be great!

I have been dating this man for about 3 months. We met on a friday and never left each other after that. He spends every night at my house even though he has his own appartment. We work on different shift so we barely see each other and he works often on the week end to make some extra cash... He is good to me and to my child, he painted my house, goes to IKEA with me... he is pretty much willing to do whatever to make me happy... EXCEPT participates financially. He hasn't helped me pay any of the house bills or even grocery. If his son stays with us for the week end and we go to McDonald, I still flip the bill for everyone! I am a teacher and he works in a factory but when it is all said and done, we make about the same... I have a 18 month old and i do not get child support... so btw day care, the mortgage, health insurance, medifast and the utilities I barely break even... most months i don't... I already talked to him about the fact that we don't spend enough time together and the money issue... but he says that since he still has an appartment and he only come to see me (which i disagree because he stays at my house when i go to work since he does not have to be at work until 3:30 pm), it does not need to give me money.... Even though he eats most of my child's treats and that I used to cook 4 square meals for him... I stopped a few weeks ago because i got tired of all that extra work with barely a thank you and no financial help... He is the first father figure in my daughter's life since her real father decided he wasn't ready to be a dad when i was 6 month pregnant...
All in all, I am not happy... I mean that i am not in love... I see him more as a friend than anything else... I am just frustrated with everything: the no money, no time... I didn't get any gift from him on Christmas... even though he asked me to spend $150 for his gift... He did not even have something for my child... he got her a little trycile at the second hand baby store the day after Christmas... when we go places, I always drive... he never offers to put gas in my car... The only time he put gas was when he took me to AK to meet his parents... that's it...

Any advice on what i should do??? Please?

Thank you ladies so much for the encouragement. Today was much better. The eggs were better than I expected. The beef stew and the chocolate pudding were ok. The woman who got me started with MF told me that she doesn't dare eat anything without her "spices". She won't tell me what her mixture is but she is going to bring some in for me on Wednesday. I will try the soaking hope it works...lol.

Congratulaions on everyones weightloss you all have me motivated.