Good morning. I'm new here but looking into what my I'm gaining/leveled out on my diet only 13 days in?

Background: I am 35 years old, female mother to the three best people in the world! I work full time. 5'7 and currently weigh 265lbs. A couple weeks ago I was talking to my husband about trying out Medifast since so many people we know have been successful on it. He wants me to wait until at least September as it is expensive and he is expecting a raise around that time. So I decided to start my own DIY method. What my goal is (and what I've been following) is four 200 calorie meals high in protein, a large salad with lean protein and no dressing for dinner and then another 200 calorie snack after dinner before bed. I've been using the following for my 200 calorie meals, Atkins achieve shakes, Kellogg's protein meal bars, almonds with veggie stick crisp chips or pop chips, chicken lunch meat with cucumbers. Well that's basically it.

Over the first 5 days I went from 274-263 pounds. I also have been tracking my calories with the livestrong app and have surprised myself by not cheating and not really getting hungry (these are firsts for me!!!)

However, it's now day 13 and I haven't lost a single pound! since day 5 in fact I weighed myself this morning and I'm up 2 pounds to 265 :-/

I'm eating from 1200-1500 calories a day, I'm not cheating. Why am I not loosing any weight and gaining it?? What the heck!

I am terrified I'm going to loose my momentum. I feel like I got over the hunger hurdle but don't understand that when I'm eating less than 1500 calories while weighing 265 lbs why I'm not loosing any weight! Any suggestions would be so appreciated!

Weight loss isn't linear. If you take out the middle numbers, you've lost 9lbs in 13 days, which is actually quite remarkable, and I'd be thrilled out of my mind over it. Have you taken measurements? I highly recommend it. Sometimes you see measurements change when weight doesn't...sort of like your body adjusting to the new size.

Just my personal opinion, but I think 1200-1500 calories is a bit low for your weight. That's going to put you at a 1000 calorie per day deficit, even if you are basically sedentary. Personally, I'd up your calories to 1500-1800, and then try to add 30 minutes of exercise 5x a week. Also, I personally don't like "diet" foods, so I'd stay away from shakes and meal bars and try to get in more "real" food. But again, that's me.

I agree with MonteCristo. Low isn't always better. Your body might be reacting to the calorie level being too low and thus thinking "it's starvation mode time", holding on to your fat in the belief that it might need those fat stores. Not sure exactly how it works but if you Google starvation mode, you'll probably find info on this.

And I absolutely agree that it sounds like you might be eating too many processed foods. One thing I've learned is that it's not just how much you eat - it's the quality of the food you eat. I get that you work full time, are a mom, etc., so you probably don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen but you don't have to spend hours cooking to make meals that are much healthier than an Atkins protein bar. I would Google simple healthy meals or something like that and see what you find.

Also, are you sure you really want to do Medifast? I don't know too much about it but it always sounded to me like one of these "lose weight fast, then eat like a normal person and gain all of it back" type diet. It might be better if you considered eating a calorie counting diet you design yourself with lots of veggies and fruits, whole grains, lean quality proteins (whole ones, not protein bars), and good fats (not too many but not totally cutting them out) rather than something like Medifast. You would probably lose weight at a good pace (it's not trick to lose 9 or 10 pounds in a week - the trick is keeping it off!) and you would be eating much healthier and also eating in a way that would be more long-term than Medifast.

And not to mention that a diet of quality foods, mostly whole like the ones I mention above, would be a heck of a lot cheaper than Medifast!

Just a thought...

Djuna

Yep, bodies are strange things and weight loss commonly occurs in fits and starts. Once it's been going steadily for a while you'll be able to see the overall pattern. Don't panic! Panic is not a friend to weight loss, and is lousy to go through anyway.

I agree that Medifast isn't a great way to approach this. There aren't any quick fixes, though there are lots of companies making a fortune off selling people the illusion that they can become thin quickly. The best thing is to find a healthy, sensible eating plan that you enjoy, and to eat a bit less than you burn. If your eating habits have been very troubled, then sometimes you don't even need to start with a calorie deficit, just work on what you can manage at a time (e.g. boredom snacking, one of my problem areas) and gradually get there. It's a marathon, not a sprint, but this also means that you should be relatively happy while you're doing it, not miserable because you're bored to death of shakes and starving hungry.

One thing that is always important with calorie counting is to check that you are measuring accurately. Portion sizes on pre-prepared foods can be deceiving, and if they are done by volume then sometimes people don't realise that they are not actually filling the measuring cups. Weighing is generally more accurate. Sometimes people are genuinely not losing weight because they think they're eating far fewer calories than they really are due to measuring problems. I seem to recall there are posts about this here, though I can't remember where they are! (First time back in a while.)

I'm also very confused on how the body can stop losing after a week on a vlcd.

For example, people who have weight loss surgery can only eat a small amount of food, not every many calories, but yet they steadily lose weight eating vlcd.

What's difference between their vlcd and a vlcd of a non weight loss surgery stomach.

So confusing

A friend of mine is on a VLCD through poverty rather than choice. She reckons she's on about 700 cal a day. She's losing a great deal of weight and looks pale and exhausted. We're going to have her round to dinner as often as we can, and are sending her home with spare food.

The huge drop in the first 5 days is usually water weight as opposed to actually fat. From there things slow down as your body adjusts. I'm on day 13 of a plateau. It happens. It's annoying but it doesn't necessarily mean things aren't working anymore. Weight loss is a marathon not a sprint.

I like looking at before and after pictures. And the one thing I began to notice is the most successful drops come from those who take a year or more to drop the weight. And those are also most likely the people who will keep it off. Crash diets often lead to more weight gain in the end. Look at most of the Biggest Loser contestants. A majority have gained the weight back.

So one things I did was I created a graph. I'm kinda a nerd that way. I'll post a link to the picture (it's too big to post on here). The horizontal axis is weeks that start from day 1 and go for a full year. The vertical axis goes from my start to weight down to my goal weight. The horizontal, dark blue lines are BMI goals and the vertical, light blue lines are the weeks I'm am supposed to meet those goals. I drew a straight line from Day 1 SW down to Day 365 GW. This is if weight loss were truly linear, which it's not. As you can see even though I'm not losing as quickly as I'd like I'm still ahead of schedule.

Graph Link

It's about finding something that will work for you in the long run. I personally stay away from anything that's labeled "diet" or "light." They may be lower calorie but they aren't as satisfying and usually ends up being my downfall. Yesterday I bought myself a gourmet cupcake. It was a craving I had been having for over 3 days so I knew that it would be better to satisfy that craving before it turned into a binge, which it nearly did. I cut that cupcake in half and now I have the second half in the fridge for me to eat later if I want it. Everything in moderation. I know that is advice that is written everywhere.

Have patience, you'll get there.

Also, slightly TMI, but how have you been pooping? You should be pooping at least once a day. Sometimes at the beginning of a diet your digestive system will slow down. I was constipated for 4 days last week. Some of the things I learned through research is when you start going on a lower calorie diet a lot of your foods have less fat. You need fat to keep yourself regular (you gotta grease the pipe). Also, contrary to popular belief, fiber doesn't keep you regular. It adds bulk to your poo so if you're already going normally so that is when it's helpful. But if you aren't going that often it just adds to the back up which can cause some weight gain. Think of a traffic jam in your intestines.

I've been on a vlcd for three months because of gallbladder issues. The first 6-8 weeks I lost like crazy. By 6 weeks I was incredibly weak and probably looked as great as I felt. So I started tracking my calories to try to make sure I got at least 1200 a day (and every calorie a good healthy one too!). I kept losing, but not quite as fast; and as I managed to eat barely enough I regained strength and became more active. And that's when my weight loss really slowed. At 1200 calories I lose weight faster just sitting around than if I get up and walk a (very slow) couple miles a day. Once i have my surgery I really want to get up to 1600-1800. I know I will still lose at that range and long term it both healthier and more realistic.

There is a lot of focus on calories in the weight loss game, but precious little on ensuring adequate and balanced overall nutrition.

The body will hoard what it gets, ergo body fat, if it does not get what it needs. If you are not getting sufficient quantities of the 93 essential nutrients your metabolism requires to keep you fit and well, it will become very difficult to lose weight. In short, malnutrition leads to weight gain, while balanced nutrition, combined with eliminating chemical additives that block absorption of those nutrients, invariably leads to weight loss and a higher degree of overall wellness.

I am not talking products or supplements, here. The body is biologically designed to get nutrition from real, honest, farm-fresh and wild foods, not from factory products.

In your food log above, you are pretty much covering the macro bases, proteins-carbs-fats, however you are substantially shy on vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and the other essential nutrients your body needs.

I would recommend nixing the factory processed products, and instead eating:

1/2 your plate stacked high in dark leafy greens. These are your nutrient power packs, and very important.

1/6 your plate colorful veggies.

1/6 your plate a high-quality, non-processed protein.

1/6 your plate a fruit or whole-grain carb, but not bread or flour based.

I am willing to bet you wold see a difference very quickly.

Best of luck!
R Belldon Colme

While I completely agree that many diet companies are profiting off of these so-called quick-fixes, I have to at least (for my sake) defend Medifast as more than just a gimmick. You actually have to work with a counselor, go to weekly appointments, follow a strict regimen, and learn to see food as fuel (and not as a comfort). After you hit your goal weight, you actually continue going for 12-18 months while eating real food. Your counselor will support you along the way as you reintroduce fruits, dairy, and carbs so you don't gain it all back. I'm anticipated to hit my goal weight in February 2018, but my program is actually scheduled through April 2019.

My doctor has been recommending it to me for years--finally when I hit 249, I knew it was time. I actually saved up then went in during their 50% promo, so I saved a lot of money on the program.

Long term, real food is always the key. But for those of us who need structure and constant support (like me), I think Medifast is a viable option.

Just my two cents!