I call this approach the "intelligent person wants instant gratification" method to weight loss. My cousin who is a smart person and knows that she needs to make a lifestyle change always goes this route because she wants to slam the weight off NOW. Problem is, she can never successfully make the switch from (Medifast, Jenny Craig, Nurtisystem, insert other fast weight loss methods) to lifestyle eating, and she then regains all the weight. She's done this several times, and it's so frustrating for me to watch her because if she had just done the slow and steady method from the beginning she would already have lost the weight and been maintaining!

I highly recommend NOT switching your game in the middle. Start the way you plan to finish.

The process of losing weight, using your chosen method that you will keep continuing on forever, is very valuable.

The time spent actually losing the weight, is time well spent. It gives you time to learn how to eat healthy. It gives you time to learn new habits. It gives you time to find what foods you like and don't like. What foods work for you and which ones don't. It gives you time to get this whole "lifestyle" thing ingrained in your brain. It gives you time to make this "automatic" and second nature. It's time creating a new "normal". All these things will help make the transition from losing to maintaining much more natural, smoother, simpler and easier. Easier is good, as it will help to ensure that you keep the weight off - permanently. Permanently is not only good, it's GREAT - and what we're all striving for.

I agree with everything that's been said about process and lifestyle change.
I choose calorie counting because it's the easiest to fit into normal life - I don't have to worry about restaurants or friends not offering foods that fit with my lifestyle; if everything else fails, I can just eat a very tiny amount of whatever anyone else is having.

It's doable now and sustainable in the long term.

I have tried just about every diet out there. I lost weight on most of them. I gained weight with most of them too. I didn't stop gaining the weight back until I finally decided to change my way of thinking. I don't think I am dieting anymore. I eat to life. Once I made it that lifestyle change everyone is talking I noticed that I didn't gain the weight back. No, I am not at goal but the weight is coming off and I am not going to change the way I eat after I reach goal. I agree with what was posted above, maybe use up what you have, or sell it on ebay but making that lifestyle change is the important part. Good luck! Set your mind to it and you can do it. No more yo-yo'ing!!!

Thanks to everyone for you wisdom.It has helped for me to choose calorie counting as my way.I have decided to start now so as not to have to much of a shock weight gain.I want to learn how to eat right while losing.I have so much Medifast food but to Ebay it's going to go.Thanks again all and congrats on you determination to do this.You all inspire me.

I will be starting a new program in a couple of weeks. It is called HMR weight management. It is kind of like Medifast in that it has meal replacement meals, shakes, pudding, soup, hot cereal, bars and vitamins. There are two different plans to follow....decision-free (all meal replacement/medically supervised) or healthy solutions (meal replacement plus you add fruits and veggies/medical supervision not required). The great thing about this I found is they also teach lifestyle changes and maintence so that when you transition from the meal replacements you are ready. I will attend a weekly class, the health educator will call in between classes and I will periodically see the physician about my labs and med changes. Plus exercise is required. There is alot of accountability, structure and support. I am really excited about beginning!! I don't think I have ever been excited about starting a weight loss program before.