Hi Jay - Yup, my ticker is correct, but - as alinnell said, I feel 'icky' at this weight. I feel happiest at 150, which might be more than some 5'8" women like to weigh - but it works for me. Even 155 would be acceptable. I don't know why I can't get in gear and just lose these few pounds - but every time I try, I just can't stand it and go right back to my normal eating, which isn't binging but isn't great, either. Jay, what does Medifast recommend for you, calorie-wise? I don't know much about MF, except that I think it's a 'pre-prepared' meal program....?

Medifast is indeed a meal-delivery program. The Medifast meals are things like shakes, bars, soups, oatmeals, and so forth. They come in dry package form and have to be reconstituted, and some microwaved, etc. You eat 5 of them per day. You also have 1 "lean and green" meal per day that consists of a pretty large serving of a protein food and 3 servings of vegetables. You cook it yourself, or you can eat at a restaurant, following the guidelines.

It's a very low calorie plan. You are eating 800 to 1000 calories per day. All nutrients are included--no vitamins or fiber supplements are needed. You eat frequently enough (every 2 hours, or 3 hours max) that you don't get too hungry. Protein is a big part of the nutrition you're getting. I'm not sure how I'll do with it because I sometimes have problems with soy protein. Time will tell.

Basically you have to be willing to eat exactly what they tell you, when they tell you. There is some variety, because any Medifast meal can be eaten at any time, and the same goes for the "lean and green." Also there is a short list of snacks that you can have if you need them.

I like the idea of not having to prepare more than one meal a day and just having everything cut out for me.

But, I'll let you know how it goes once I get started with it.

Jay

Wait a minute - now that you've provided that info, I'm flashing back on something. A few years ago I visited a support forum that I believe was for Medifast (google makemethinner and you'll find it if you're interested). I remember that they talked a lot about "compliance"! Given that the calories are so low, compliance must be a challenge. Good luck, Jay!

Yes--that's the Medifast forum. I hear that some of the posters there are really big on strict adherence to the program. And they aren't shy about saying so...

The Medifast materials say the first three days are the hardest because of the metabolism shift. After that it's less hard.

I think compliance would be important because going off the plan and eating some sugary bakery item, for example, would throw a wrench into fat burning metabolism. And why do it? If one gets hungry and can't stand it, there is always the option of having an extra shake.

Anyway, I haven't started it yet. Waiting for the food delivery...

Jay

Hey! I've started Medifast, and have added a ticker to my sig.

An interesting insight into regaining: On this program, the use of milk, cream, and and cream substitutes in coffee is very limited. I have been a 3-cup-a-day coffee drinker, and over time, my use of milk and/or cream substitutes has increased. Now that I am limiting those foods, I find that I don't really like coffee... Not as much as I thought I did.

Basically I was drinking coffee-flavored carbohydrates every morning... And thinking it was OK, because it wasn't a Starbucks full-fat full-sugar deal!

Jay

Hehe. Jay. I drink 3 cups of coffee a day and never add cream or sugar. Guess it's my Swedish ancestry! But I'm doing quite well on medifast and haven't experienced much hunger except perhaps for this morning when I just couldn't eat those eggs.