The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Lizabette]

Thank you, THERESA, for the kind words.

You are a very thoughtful and caring person. It will be a happy day when you can do away with the CPAP machine.
Just keep working on it and you will get there.
Right now it could be saving your life, so be thankful for it!

Yeah, I can't believe that I have been married for almost 60 years...It just happened...the years kept passing...and soon it was 60 years.
And yes, we were so very blessed.



Lizabette

[Lizabette]

I gotta do it, I gotta do it. I think maybe writer's block has set in. But here goes...

I've been thinking lately about how Medifast has changed my way of thinking and feeling. Where in the past, heavy stress would send me flying to the refrigerator or pantry in search of food, any food, now I finally realize that harmful reaction is not the answer, and I don't need to do that any more.

I experienced more stress than I have in a long time the past few months traveling, ongoing business problems, while at the same time dealing with my sister's illness, overnight hospital stays, and then losing her... my sweet shopping pal, garage sale/flea market companion, confidant and close friend. Somehow, through it all, I kept my bearing and remained steady in the boat. I believe that my healthful eating and weight loss has calmed my mind and body in a beneficial way.

I've been thinking of the friends I have made in these past Medifast months. Unusual to have close, even dear friends, with someone you've never met, but I have. I believe there is a bonding, somewhat akin to being an adopted child, who has never seen her sibling. Something is there that draws them together. And when, if ever we would meet, that feeling of closeness would still be there, like meeting for the first time that long lost sister.

That is why I love to see the faces on the avatars of you who post encouraging and supportive words to me and others.. Every pound that I have lost, can be attributed in part to those of you who have lifted my spirits when I needed it. A blood sister could do no more.

Tonight something fun happened. I couldn't decide what I wanted for my final meal replacement. I picked up a packet of soup, a packet of cappuchino and a packet of oatmeal and pondered the tough decision. DH was standing there and I handed him the packets to hide behind his back and then I chose a hand. It was the packet of cappuchino. I was perfectly happy with the choice, and I made a delicious hot drink... Ooh, the better to sleep by.

Goodnight my dear friends....



Lizabette

[jump4joy]

Sending you a hug today, Lizabette! You are the dearest, sweetest lady. My own mother is just your age, but she's lost in dementia now. She was finally diagnosed with a mental illness, and the dr. said that it explains why she was never able to love or be a good mother. For many years, I've wondered and imagined what it would be like to have a mother to go to.....to ask advice, and enjoy a mother's mature perspective and wisdom. Reading your posts give me a glimpse of what a wise and loving mother might be like. I wish I could adopt you and take you home. I'm so glad to know you and feel your goodness.

Joy

[Lizabette]

Sending you a hug today, Lizabette I wish I could adopt you and take you home. Joy

I feel that hug, JOY!

I'm sorry your mother is so ill. Now it is easier for you to understand and accept why the situation is the way it was.
I feel sure she did love you, and was as good as she knew how to be under the circumstances.

Maybe we could draw up some adoption papers and make me your mother in absentia.
You can call on me anytime that I can be of encouragement and support to you.
I would be honored.

You are so sweet and a joy to know.



Lizabette

[Lizabette]

JUNE 27, 2006

SMARTIPANTZ gave us some 'Words To Live By' in her post today. It was:

"Don't sacrifice the thing you want the most for something you want at the moment."

She also said " Our goal weight is what we want the most..... the temptations are all something we want at the moment.
Those temptations come and go and compromise our success in reaching our goal."

SMARTI, that is so appropriate for each one of us here on the Medifast forum. If I may, I'd like to paraphrase it just a little differently to bring it closer to home:

"I will not sacrifice the thing I want the most for something I want at the moment"

Now that is something to tatoo backwards on our foreheads to see when we look in the mirror, as DEDE suggested...
Or on our refrigerator as MELLOWMOM and KETURA plan to do.
JAN said we should implant it in our brains by constantly repeating it to ourselves.

Wouldn't that statement give us pause, as we reach into the refrigerator or pantry for that certain something which would give us a single moment's pleasure?

What if we applied that slogan to everything else we do? How much more successful would we be in attaining those speciific goals we are all striving for in our day-to-day lives?

Thank you Smarti, for sharing your insight with us. And for giving us another tool for making Medifast work for us even more powerfully.

And as some others of you have said...

AMEN!

Lizabette

[Lizabette]

Lizabette~You are just the dearest, most wonderful person in the whole, wide world! You and Joy's posts have brought me to tears. Well, not exactly tears, more like a river. Thank you for being YOU. I don't know what else to say.Vicky

JUNE 28, 2006 - (A.M.)

VICKY, You are much too kind! But I thank you from my heart. I read your posts of encouragement to others and I know you are a very special person. I wish there were more caring and sensitive souls like you...ones who bring out the best in people as you do.

Well,I see UNCA has pulled me into the 50# Club BY FAITH!! Now I really must reach that high pinacle very soon. 50 is a magic number to me...and I am determined, slow loser that I am to crawl, claw, or whatever it takes to get there and take my rightful seat in the club!

But alas, not for long. This is not a journey that ends the race with one great goal accomplished. Makes me wonder if there is an end in our space of time for any of us, simply because we are who we are...and so,we keep pressing on.

Today will be a good Medifast day, I feel. We're preparing for the Fourth of July holiday, when our kids (4) and some grandkids will be coming to visit. They love to come to Hot Springs and here on the beautiful Lake Hamilton, they can literally fish off our backyard deck. Or swim or go out in the pontoon. It's a fun time.

I recall the last 4th vividly. DH had been hospitalized for 8 days with tick fever. He had come home, but was bedfast with home nurses and therapists coming in to do what was necessary. The kids and g-kids came and they would gather aroung g-pa's bed and chatter, and pray.

We sat and watched out the window while they shot fire crackers off the boat dock, and saw lot's of other fireworks sparkling and noisy, from across the lake. In hindsight, it truly was a blessed time, that 4th of July, 2005. DH slowly recovered and is now his usual onery, but loveable self!

He often says, "That little tick just about got me, but God wouldn't allow it!" Thank you, Lord!

Unexpectedly, following the holiday, DH and I will need to return to OKC on some unfinished business. So we will be away for just a short time, we trust. A teensy prayer from all of you reading this would be so appreciated.

So what will I do today Medifast-wise. For the trip, I am boxing up my MF food with the necessary shakers, utensils, etc. I've been getting a lot of experience with that lately.

With DH's help we'll get the house presentable for company, think about what we'll have to EAT! We have a spiral ham that should go well, and of course bar-b-qued burgers, and such stuff as that. No need to fret about it...it always turns out great with the help of our fantastic daughter and daughters-in-law! They all know that I don't eat everything they do, so that is a given. They happen to be very proud of their mom and are loving and understanding!

That's all for now...

Lizabette

[dede4wd]

Have a GREAT time with your family! I think it's so neat you're all getting together! Have a safe trip to OKC! I'll miss you!

Thank you SO much for everything you do and everything you say on the boards, you help me SO much more than you know!

DeDe

[Lizabette]

JUNE 28, 2006 (P.M.)

Today I began my 25th Week on Medifast. I started a week or so before I found this great site. There is so much support and caring here,
I stuck with it and began on an exciting journey with many of you, and so many more have come along since to join us.

My scale was difficult to read, and I kind of guessed that I started exactly at 195. It could have been few pounds more than that.
On some earlier doctor's visits I had gone up to almost 200!. It scared me.
I just knew I would keep going up if I didn't get serious about losing weight.

DH was getting scared too about my health. My cholesterol was too high, BP was higher than it should be.
I had developed sleep apnea, due to my weight. and was using a CPAP machine to aid my breathing at night.

So here I am, almost 50 pounds lighter, and I reported in an earlier post about the good results that my latest lab tests and physical showed.
As I have heard several MFers say. Medifast (and this site) is saving my life!. My tests came back all within normal range,
and I have discontinued use of my CPAP machine.

I have a digital scale now that keeps excellent track of my weekly progress (sometimes daily). I do the 5 & 1 program,
and I try to stay as 100% compliant as possible. Being a senior member, I have a little more lee way with my foods,
but I usually try to stay within the same guidelines as everyone else.

DH and I walk almost every evening for 25-30 minutes in our own neighborhood. The streets are hilly and shaded, so it is a nice vigorous walk.
We also plan to start back to the Y when things settle down for us a little more, hopefully after the 4th holiday.

Every chance I get I read the other journals, and I do my best to read the other forums and post as much as possible.
Unfortunately, I can't keep up with them all. I'm sorry, I am so far behind but it's great to have them to come to when I can.
You are all such an inspiration to me!

BTW, The Lord has answered our prayers about our out-of-town business trip.
It looks as if we will not need to leave after all, and we are very thankful for that.

Thank you for helping us pray...

Lizabette

[Lizabette]

JUNE 29, 2006 (p.m.)

Today, I have spent entirely too much time trying to update my avatar picture. What I have succeeded doing is to delete the original avatar picture, and have not succeeded in adding the updated picture.

So I sent an SOS to Unca. Or some computer whiz can help me. JOELIE, I PMed you, and ARK, I think you could help, too. So that explains the blank avatar! ME, the “avatar lady”, who wheedles, begs, and threatens folks with the skinny stick, to add pictures to their avatars. (See I’m even getting another plug in here, too.)

I started out the day thinking I would weigh off schedule, but decided the scale might not be friendly to me today, and shucked the thought aside. I have found that the days I do not weigh in between regular weigh-ins, the better I feel. It is nothing unusual to weigh more on the days that I feel the most confident, and I end up wondering where I went wrong. So best for me to patiently wait…when I can!

I am pretty cut and dried on my eating schedule, alternating between the hot coffee drinks (cocoa, cappuccino, chai), oatmeal, soups, shakes, puddings, and oh, don’t leave out my wonderful bars! I almost always eat my acceptable snacks such as MF crackers with the soup and sugar free Jello. Pickles and celery are nice when I want something to crunch. Water is a little harder, but when I really concentrate I can get in 5-20 oz. bottles. Uh,oh, ‘scuse me, while I run get another bottle! I keep my timing pretty regular, starting at about 7:30 a.m. and eating about 2 ½ hours apart. I try to eat my last meal about 9 p.m. after we put Allie and Meg to bed in the utility room.

The one thing that is most encouraging is that the inches have kept dropping. Clothes that I have hung in full view, as a goal to reach, are fitting. That leaves the real possibility of them being too big next time I try them. Some of my nicer winter wear is fitting nicely now, but woe is me when the weather cools off enough to wear them.

DH and I have matching classic tan leather jackets from years back, but still stylish. Mine is a 9/10, that I simply could not give up, even after I was 8 sizes too large. It fits snugly now, but when I can comfortable wear it, I will be satisfied that I have reached goal. Of course DH, has gained hardly an ounce through the years. We’ll have fun wearing them again soon…soon meaning in a couple months.

It was still a little warm for our 30 minute walk this evening, but we try to get it in each day we possibly can. It will be more difficult next week, what with family coming for the July 4th holidays. In that case, family is first priority.

That pretty well finishes my day. It was a good day. It’s about time to let the ‘babies’ out for their final outing before their bedtime, and then…my last delicious meal of the day. Not sure what it will be, but pudding sounds good, or maybe a nice hot cappuccino drink to warm the soul. I hope that everyone had a great day today, with many blessings coming your way.

Lizabette

[jump4joy]

Oh Lizbette.....I did see your new avatar earlier today and I was going to write and tell you I loved it....I was able to see your pretty face so much better! I'll be looking for it to be up again soon.

Joy

[dede4wd]

Hi Silver Fox!

I'm so thrilled you don't have to make your trip!

I can't WAIT to see your avatar!

We understand that you can't respond to every post. It just makes it that much more special to us when you do post! At least for me!

I'm so excited about your jacket! I'm so glad you kept it!

DeDe

[Unca_Tim]

Quit playing with your Avatar!!!
I had it up twice today, and you kept deleting it.
Refresh your browser, and you'll see it.

I'm just kiddin' you know....

[dede4wd]

OOOH!

I LOVE the new avatar!

DeDe

[Lizabette]

Quit playing with your Avatar!!! I had it up twice today, and you kept deleting it. Refresh your browser, and you'll see it.
I'm just kiddin' you know....

Thanks, guys. Glad you like the new avatar!

UNCA! UNCA! UNCA! I knew you wouldn't let me down! You know how I am, always wanting to do things myself.
Besides I thought you were out of pocket (away dancing in UTAH). And I couldn't wait...you know how I am!

All's well that ends well...this time!

Lizabette

[Lizabette]

JULY 1, 2006 (A.M.)

WISP! That's what a friend I hadn't seen for awhile called me. I took it as a compliment (NSV).
That's even better than "you're losing weight!" or "you're looking good!" WISP! I like that!

I am so excited. My very own beautiful daughter has ordered her first order of Medifast.
She has been able to keep her weight down for years by constantly working on it and exercise, and still looks quite good to me,
but as she gets older and at ‘that’ time of her life, it is getting harder and harder for her.

She has seen the success I have had on MF and said she saw an advertisement in People Magazine,
so she ordered the Variety Pack, to get her jumpstarted again.

Hope you’ll see her on the Forum soon.

Tonight we will do burgers on the grill, and I do enjoy that because I eat a lean burger with the veggies that go with it.
And enjoy the fun along with everyone else.
Trying to stay on food schedule today, especially with my water. I will have to be vigilant, not about eating, but staying on a regular schedule.

I may be pretty scarce on the forum for the next couple days because of the 4th of July activities around here.
Hope that you all have a wonderful time on this holiday weekend.

Lizabette