The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Lisa_Z]

Hello All!
I just registered today. Here's my situation: I am a mother of two gorgeous, perfect girls-- one is 4 years, the other is 9 months old. I want to be a role model to them & as it stands now, I feel like a huge blob. I eat all day, everything I can.

Been researching the various plans for a while (Weight Watchers, LA, Jenny, NutriSystem, etc) & have been on EVERY one sometime throughout my life, including all the "home" diets (South Beach, Atkins, Slimfast, etc). They sometimes work, sometimes don't, but always gain it back plus. Always battled weight, but am at my heaviest now. Thinking about doing Medifast, never tried this one.

Question-- what is the general concensous here: has it worked for you? If so, how long, how much weight lost? What about maintenance-- have you kept it off & how long? What are the benefits of this plan? What are the complaints you have?

I have at least 50lbs to lose. What do you think?

[MusicalMomma]

Hi Lisa...I think you'll find the general consensus to be that this plan works if you work it. It's safe, rapid weight loss and I love it!! (almost 30lbs in 7 weeks)

[ToyDiva]

Hi Lisa,

Like you, I have been on pretty much every conceivable diet. I also was at my heaviest when I started the Medifast plan with my husband. It's been 15 days for me and I've lost almost 14 pounds and my husband 21 pounds. It was tough the first few days, especially with my two girls to feed (3 1/2 and 22 months) and take care of. But I think I had reached the point that I've eaten enough junk and have no control over that kind of eating. I don't even think I will ever be able to go back to "normal" eating. I want to be there for my family and enjoy life.

I have this forum to be one of the most supportive forums around. No trash talk, just honesty and encouragement.

I'd say the only complaint I had when I started was the taste of the foods and shakes. But there are many recipes in the Lean Cuisine section of the forum to help in the beginning and I have found my tastes have changed and I enjoy more and more of the foods without much doctoring. And Splenda has been my best friend, as I pretty much add it to almost everything. Just try experimenting.

I had over 100 pounds to lose when I started. Just taking it one day at a time!

[DogMa]

I also am a refugee of other diets, so much so that I could no longer lose on any of them and thought I had ruined my metabolism forever. Then I discovered Medifast, and even though I do lose more slowly than most (because I really DID mess up my metabolism), I have been losing consistently for nine months and am down nearly 50 pounds. I also have more energy than I had on other plans, and haven't had so much as a cold since I started!

The first couple of days I was very hungry, but that passed. And in the beginning I didn't like a lot of the foods, but I've learned to doctor them up and my tastes have changed. I still refuse to drink the shakes, but I've found plenty of other foods to have instead.

What I like: steady weight loss; more rapid weight loss than on other plans (even for me); having extra energy; not having to constantly think about what I can eat and plan my meals, and not having food be the focus of my day; knowing that I'm eating only balanced, nutritious meals; learning to eat small meals throughout the day; learning to actually LIKE vegetables; this forum and all its wonderful support; my Health Advisor and all HER support; unpacking my box of goodies every month.

What I don't like: the shakes, and that I didn't reach my goal (75 pounds) instantly.

As for maintenance, I'm not there yet, but that was my biggest concern when I started. I've lost the weight before and I know what it's like to gain it all back (plus some extra). I know more than 90 percent of dieters gain the weight back. But I truly believe that THIS time I can be in the small percentage who don't. I can see using the Medifast products for the rest of my life (not all day, every day, but as part of my normal routine). I also have found that if I DO slip up, it's been very easy for me to get back on the program, so I think if I did gain a few pounds, I could easily do a week of the full program and be right back down.

I don't mean to sound like a commercial, but I've been on this thing for quite a while now, and I've seen it work for a lot of people here. And if it can work for ME, after nothing else would anymore and I'd all but given up, it can work for anyone.

[just_julie]

Thought you might like to hear from a Newbie who sounds just like you! I have 2 perfect girls as well. They are 4 years and 20 months. I want to lose 50 pounds. I'm on Day 5 and have lost 5 pounds. I'm not jumping up and down over that though. I always lose a lot at the beginning of any program.

What I like about MF is separating myself from food. While I was waiting for my MF to arrive, I thought about everything I ate. I went to all my favorite places to have that food for the last time (for a while). None of it was that great. Like Nancy has been quoted saying. "You know what that food tastes like. You can do without it for a while."

During this separation from "normal" foods, I can really listen to my body and get used to eating more frequent, smaller meals - the way healthy people eat. And on the 5 and 1 Plan, you actually do eat "normal" food too in the Lean & Green meal. The first night when I saw all those green beans I thought, "I don't want to eat all THAT!" But they were good! This is the only food (for me) that I have to think about all day. It's the meal I cook for my family. Of course I make the family's other meals, but I've always made them healthy things that are not tempting to me. Funny how I would always take care of them with healthful food, but I didn't take care of myself.

In the past, when I've reached my goal weight, I never practiced a transition to healthy eating. I like the looks of the MF transition and intend to follow it through maintenance.

I haven't been hungry - eating every 2 -3 hours will do that for you. I've had a small headache on Days 2 & 4. Don't know why. I thought the Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal was gross on the first day, and I love oatmeal. I now add cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 Spleda packet, and I like it a lot. The ONLY other complaint I have is that I've been shorted the right amount of food in some of my packets - something I think MF will correct. So, WHEN YOUR order arrives check not only the boxes but the packets too.

Hope you join us soon!

[FluffyNoMore]

Without a doubt YES. If you follow the plan. I've been doing it for 2 weeks tomorrow and have lost 17 lbs. I've tried almost every diet imaginable and never had much success. The last one I did, WW, I lost 11 lbs in 3 months and then plateaued for 3...and quit. It was unbelievably discouraging and I was starving.

With Medifast, I'm not ever hungry, I know I could eat more, but I don't need to. This has been the best decision and easiest decision.

[Jan]

Hi There,
The other posters are absolutely correct. This program works!!! But, you have to decide to "work it" Eat when you are supposed to and what you are supposed to. Drink your water and hold off on the exercise til week 4 at least. You can do it too. Join us and those pesky pounds will soon be a thing of the past. But .... as Robin said not overnight. But this is the safest and fastest way to part with them. It takes work and compliance but the results are cetainly worth it. Looking forward to seeing you parting with the pounds and reporting here on the forum.
jan

[ljm498]

Hi! Well, I'm about 3lbs away from my goal so I can definitely say it works. All told I will have lost 90lbs. Once I get to 125 I may decide on a few more though. As far as maintenance and keeping it off goes. That's really up to us, not the diet. We need to do what we have to do in order to keep it off but certainly, nothing is guaranteed. We have to exercise, eat right and healthy, and figure out our relationship with food and even get help with that if need be.

But it DOES work, without a doubt. Hope that helps and good luck on your journey!

[Serendipity]

I've been on this program for almost 5 months. I've lost 64 pounds. Yes, it works if you follow the plan, for the weight loss phase. As for maintenance, like Lynne said, it's up to us to make that work, but, by using the support we get at this forum and from our health advisors, and by continuing to use the Medifast products as needed, we have the tools needed to succeed.

[saraak]

Hi there! In the beginning of the program, I had about 60 lbs to lose. I started the program on January 5th, so I've been on about two months. To date, I've lost 20 lbs. Now let me let you in on a few things. Within those two months, I've went off the diet for a week and a half to try WW because I was getting a bit bored with the food choices. I didn't gain anything back but was not happy with not losing seeing that I saw the scale move consistently on this diet, so I came back to this. I have also cheated about 6 or 7 times, sometimes just to stay sane. So imagine what I could have lost in 2 months without those obstacles. This diet will work!! You just need to make it work for you. Now, anyone is going to gain the weight back once they go off on any diet if they go back to eating the same way as they did before. My mom lost 45 lbs in 2 months on this diet but soon gained it all back because she went back to eating the way she did before. You must come to grips with the fact that you MUST change your eating pattern after you get to your goal. All in All, this diet will work and will work quicker than other diets but you have to work with it!!

[Lisa_Z]

Thanks guys! I guess you all told me what I already knew, but needed to hear again. Like with any diet, it works if you stick to it. This one seems to work fast & that's why I want to try it. I need to see results quickly or I get discouraged & cheat every time.

I am going to start next week so I will keep you all posted!

[DogMa]

That's great news, Lisa. Welcome to the fold!!!

[ktrout]

I've been overweight for at least 20 years and tried all the diets and diet aids. This program works for me and it allows me to succeed without a lot of thought as to what my next meal is and what I can and cannot eat. It's a very simple plan. If it isn't in the guide book, I don't eat it. So far so good. I'm down 60# and looking forward to reaching my first goal of 200, haven't been there since 1989, and my final goal of 175, hopefully by Fall.

Best wished for your success.

[lauradr]

It works

[Lisa_Z]

I just received my box of goodies today! I set up my "ticker" and I am starting tomorrow! My mother & husband are skeptical since they are familiar with the THOUSANDS of other weight loss gimmicks I have tried so I really want to show 'em! Wish me luck!