This is my 3rd round of medifast...

The first time (about 1 1/2 yrs ago) lasted approx 1.5 months and I lost approx 28 lbs.

Second time: maybe 3 weeks, lost approx 10 lbs

I am starting again in the am (I have about a months supply from last time)...I know it works, I know I can do it, I don't even want to be skinny!!! Just comfortable.

I have a hard time psyching myself up to start (I love food)& then once I really get in the groove OP--I self-sabotage (tell myself things like "if I lose anymore I'll need new clothes and I don't have $ for that" dumb,dumb.dumb

So... my plan is...start up tomorrow, off for Thanksgiving, back OP until Christmas, re-eval then. I am a pro at getting thru the first 3 days (did it w/ atkins all the time).I guess I just posted so others can see my struggle and obviously any help/tips/support/encouragement is/are appreciated.

Aside from being difficult in social situations..this is the most conveinient no brainer diet ever...now if I can just stick to it long enough to get this 30-40 lbs of...

Have you spent some quality time figuring out why you stop and how you're going to prevent that this time? "I'm just really gonna stick to it this time" doesn't count .

Hi pepsnik
As you said, this is a no brainer diet and you know how easy it is to stick to and that it works. What is missing seems to be resolve. Are you really ready?...if you are...You CAN do this...you already know that though...the question is will you?

thank you for taking the time to reply...

I have spent plenty of time evaluating my habit of self sabotage (doesn't just happen on medifast). I'd rather not get into it but I've come along way in that department. I'm ready to get fit & healthy forever.

I do like medifast...althought I definitely felt that WW was more of a lifestyle that fits me. That being said...I want to use the MF meals I have and I do feel great on MF. I need that right now...it's sort of like a sugar/fat detox for me.

One thing that I do think is an issue for me (on MF) is the loneliness...there are no centers here, my friends say they can't aford it. So I'm hoping posting/reading here will help me feel less alone OP.

Thanks again.

This really IS the answer for many of us! If you are dedicated to your health and weightloss...You will do it and maintain it and make the life adjustments that you need to make to do so.

People often attack this diet without researching the facts because of the ideology that is a part of their own plans. Few realise that this diet has been changing lives and being recommended by doctors for over 20 years. Nor any of the other scientific studies that have proven the effectiness.

The fact is that it is safe and it works. So does calorie counting and low carb and many others. People gain weight back after any weight loss plan if they are not dedicated to their health...

pepsnik

I do understand about not having people around you that understand the program. We have a very supportive group here. I hope you will join us in chat! They got me through some tough times...and are always glad to give advice or just chat!

Welcome...and good luck!

DJ

I, too, am a yo-yo dieter. I *KNOW* how to lose weight... I've done it at least 6 times in the past. I haven't figured out how to "keep" it off yet. But that's not REALLY true. When I face myself in the mirror & ask myself the really HARD question "WHY CAN'T I KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF?" ... you know, I finally had the audacity to actually answer! I can't keep the weight off because I keep going back to old habits. Junk food, 2nd portions, lack of giving a damn... But it always comes back to ONE specific thing: NOT EXERCISING.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE to exercise! - I love to swim, bike, walk, lift weights, etc. But the past few years, I've stopped exercising for one reason or another (most often, an injury or illness) and once I stop exercising, I stop eating healthy & start eating crap. I'm not sure WHY I do this. Mentally I know that if I just stay on track with healthy eating, I probably won't gain weight (or as much weight, anyway) & yet, I throw caution to the wind. The LAST time I lost weight (I had dieted/exercised down to 138 - just three pounds from my goal weight!) I re-injured my shoulder (had surgery back in 2002) and had to stop lifting weights... couldn't even WALK because the natural *swinging of the arms* HURT my shoulder. But instead of sticking to my healthy eating plan, I started eating pizza... 2 slices, 4 slices, a whole pizza... chips, cookies, etc. Just CRAP. ACK! - and I wondered why I gained the weight back, plus some! HA! What a dopey goofy stage of DENIAL I was in.

Then I developed blood clots in my lungs & the meds I was on left me absolutely DEAD TIRED. I could barely drag my self to work & when I got home, I'd eat dinner & go to bed around 7:30!!! .... that piled on ANOTHER 20+ pounds.

Well, I'm "healthy" now. I had elbow surgery last month, & that's not healed enough to lift weights again, but I can walk, bike, & I swam an hour a day all summer. I started eating healthy again. Cut out the junk food. No more sodas, etc. Watching those portion sizes! - no more 2nd helpings! - for THREE SOLID MONTHS, I was a dieting angel.

BUT I DIDN'T LOSE A SINGLE OUNCE.

I'm 45 years old, in perimenopause, and finally discovering what my mom was talking about when she said "your body will be different in your 40's than it is in your 20's young lady!"

Bottom line here... I've finally come to face my diet demons. *I* need to exercise. Some people can lose weight & keep it off w/diet alone - I CANNOT. And if I get sidelined from exercise for ANY reason, I need to really watch my intake... stay AWAY from junk food, & MEASURE OUT portions.

I keep gaining weight for a reason. That reason is me. I think that is the absolute secret to weight loss & keeping the weight off for good.

Beachy - IMHO that is part of the beauty of Medifast - you take a vacation from real food for awhile to be able to reflect on what drives you and your eating habits so you can learn and correct for maintenance. Most plans do not do that. I realize this plan is not for everyone but for those of us that it is right for - we should be applauded for finding the "right" fit.
I agree with you on the exercise - it makes all the difference in the world of good losses for most people. Very few can get by on meals alone.
Pepsnik - good luck on which ever plan you decide to go with - we are here for you if you need us!

Jacque

Pepsnik - I think sometimes it just takes multiple tries. You had amazing success with this in the past, so it sounds like the right diet for you. It's great that you have analyzed some of the reasons why it was hard to stick to the diet longer in the past. Now you try again and apply your new knowledge to this round.

I was a smoker and I can't tell you how many years I spent quitting over and over again ... and failing over and over again. But you know what? One of those times stuck and I haven't smoked in 5 years. Once upon a time I thought I'd just be a smoker forever because I didn't seem capable of letting it go.

If you fail once, try and try again!!!!!

So, go into this with renewed determination. Have a plan for when the initial momentum wears off and hang around this forum (the monthly chats are great and people are checking in a lot) so that you don't feel so lonely. For me, that is one of the harder parts of dieting too, but being on the forum I don't feel like I'm doing this alone. I've got all these other folks doing the same thing and so it makes me feel, not only like I'm dieting, but like I'm part of a team, which is VERY motivating!

You CAN do this!!!!!