Medifast is totally different than counting calories.

When I lost the first 30 or so pounds, it was with counting calories and eating small portions of things that I wanted, even it was something that was maybe not the healthiest, I could allow myself to have a small amount of it to kick cravings, and I usually would be great with that, I never screwed up.

With Medifast, I can only eat things that are in packages, except once a day. Not being allowed to have certain things even in tiny amounts is really a killer for me. I think it's like a make or break thing for me, cause today I really screwed up. I was on plan all day, until I had to stop at the convenience store for a couple of things, and at the front entrance right when you walk in was a big display of Valentine's candy.

Somehow, I stupidly bought a box of chocolate covered cherries and brought it home, I only had one but that's way off plan! And that one little screw up, which wouldn't have made a difference at all counting calories, as long as it didn't send me over right? Well being on Medifast it feels like a step back a week. And that feeling of being lost off-plan made me feel like crap, then I ate a third of a tin of hash. Yeah not on plan either!

So now I wonder if even though this program is great (and it has done wonders!) that maybe something so restrictive isn't good for me personally. It just doesn't seem to foster healthy eating habits in my mind if one tiny thing can screw my whole vision up!

Ugh! I'm gonna stick with it though. But I think if I have a little misstep in the future, that I'm just gonna do the same thing as if I was counting calories, and chalk it up to keeping the binge-monster at bay. Better one chocolate covered cherry off plan and back on, then a whole box of them cause I've given up!

Kellye - Sounds to me like you are on the right track with having a small amount of a treat food to avoid a binge. I LOVE medifast. It has been the only diet I can stick with for a long time. The restrictive nature is what helps me stay on plan. I like not having to make decisions and still know I am on a healthy eating plan. Also I am not hungry on medifast so I don't feel the need to start a binge.

That being said everyone is so different both in how their bodies work and their personality. If medifast's restrictive plan does not work for you then there is no problem going back to calorie counting. After all you lost 30lb calorie counting and that is major success! If you do go back to calorie counting then remember the parts of the medifast plan that worked for you. You can keep using some of the products and incorporate them into your calorie counting.

The important thing is to find a program that works for you in the long term so that you are happy and healthy!

Thanks, Liz. I know it's a great program, so many people have such great results! And I have too. I guess I just spent too much time on the boards over there reading posts, and it seems so strict!

Like it's totally frowned upon to even THINK about how good some foods are! I agree that restrictive really does work well for some people, it can be far easier if you know that some things just aren't allowed.

But at the same time, the posters over there can seem like those monks that don't eat or drink or anything. Like they're just too good to even consider eating anything that's not OP lol.

I guess for me, just knowing that I have the option of having an occasional cookie keeps the desire to actually eat it away. But when I'm told flat out that I can't have it, it's all I can think about!

I got my food today - starting the plan tomorrow!

Kellye:
I lost half of my weight by eating Medifast, the other half by simply cutting my intake of food and lowering my carb consumption. I, too, had trouble with drinking that much water, so I'd drink some water and enjoy adding crystal light to it. That's allowed with Medifast. Liquid is liquid. I also enjoyed one tall diet decaf soda daily.

As far as the medifast board is concerned, it did not work for me. I like it here very much.
Theresa

Hear, hear. I've been good about staying on plan, except that I did eat one (1) of the chocolates (a little less than the size of a Hershey Nugget) that my friend brought back from Italy. The, shall I say, disapproval I got from one of the Medifascists was a bit surprising.

I like it here far better too.

LOL

Haha Yes! Thank you. It just seems like people would gain far more benefit from a bit of understanding over a bite of chocolate than to torpedo them. Right?

On the serious side, I had to leave that blog. Due to the compassion I have for people and my desire to help, I'd come to the defense of some who were attacked. This put me at odds with a certain bunch. It became difficult for me to lose, transition and maintain. In the end I had to leave that website.
Theresa