The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Disney Mike]

I need some info regarding a regular diet. I am in outside sales so I do a bit of entertaining for the clients.

I was out of town a few days this week and will be out 4 days this upcoming week for a trade show. On Wednesday I had MF Oatmeal, a blackened chicken salad with no dressing for lunch and at the Outback I had one slice of brown bread, a very few cheese fries, a salad with no croutons and Alice Springs chicken(grilled breast with 2 slices of bacon and some cheese) as well as one glass of wine. I had oatmeal again Thursday morning, a grilled chicken salad with fat free dressing and a bar for dinner last night.

Simply put, I had three salads and three chicken breasts, a piece of bread, a few fries and a glass of wine and I GAINED ALMOST 6 POUNDS!!!

What is the deal?? It pretty much makes me not ever want to get off the program. What gives on this? People have said it is water weight but I drink about 100 ounces a day, I can' t be retaining that much water.

I am not looking forward to this next week out, we usually eat $60-80 a person meals on these trips and it is good, high quality food that I really like, I will just stay in the room if I will be gaining weight like this from a few meals out.

I need some guidance on this, and the fact is, I will be eating two if not three meals each day. I will have clients at this show that I will be meeting for lunches and dinners, or I will just retire to the room and be a hermit and that is not my nature.

Thanks in advance, MB

[Aerie]

You probably didn't gain 6 pounds of fat. That would require a LOT of calories.... but I'd definitely cut out the bread and the cheese fries As far as the wine goes way off plan to but well frankly I do it sometimes too.

I'm sure others will chime in here soon too. Hang in there.

[DogMa]

Yeah, the doc is right. Plus it doesn't matter how much you drink. The same way people lose a bunch of pounds right away when they cut out carbs? You gain it back when you ADD a bunch of carbs. It's just water and will go away this time, but those weren't the best choices.

I'd skip the wine and the bread and the fries. And the cheese and the bacon. It's easy enough to have a lean and green at a place like Outback.

The thing is, you'll NEVER be able to eat like that regularly and maintain your weight loss. That's why I get so frustrated by people who talk about all the things they'll eat when they're "done" with the program. You can have occasional treats, but you'll never be able to just eat all the fat and carbs you want. You'll never be "done."

I've lost the weight before. Successful maintenance takes constant vigilance.

[alpha femme]

it's, uhmmm, food that's hanging around.

give it a couple days with water and everything will come out alright.



it takes 3500 calories to gain 1lb of fat. after this diet, your body will horde energy, but you didn't gain 6....

i agree that people who have to struggle with weight control are never done. cake is my crack. i will always want it... and when i go off plan, the more i chip, the closer i am to being controlled by my addiction again.

[Diana]

The other part of the equation is that when we DO start back on regular food (aka Phase II), we'll be increasing our caloric output (in other words, exercising). It still all comes down to calories in:calories out in the end. (Plus all that salt probably helped you retain some water -- we of the female sort know allllll about that one.)

Regarding the wine, check this out:
http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/diet-8460.html

By the way, does it mention in the article that alcohol is metabolized in the liver, the same place where the fat burning takes place, and given the option the liver will burn the alcohol instead? (All you medically people, correct me here, k??)

[Sarya]

I've gone off plan for an entire week before. I'll reiterate that you didn't gain 6 pounds of fat. You gained 6 pounds of fat/water/glycogen/poo (I know.. but seriously.. you have a heck of a bowel movement coming. )

And the other stuff everyone else said is completely true. We transition slowly so our bodies get used to the additional foods. So that we get used to digesting those carbs again and having a large glycogen store again. I mean.. think about it. We don't pass even close to as much solid excrement as we did before MF. The whole digestive system has to get used to that food again.

I just woke up.. sorry if that sounds a little gross or fractured, but I'm going to be away all day and still wanted to respond I'm spending all day at a wine festival which means I'm sure I'm going to get loopy. I haven't had alcohol except a glass of wine on my birthday since April.

[JKSRN]

Excellent post, Robin!! There will be no such thing as 'done' for me, either. As we are losing on Medifast, we should be learning 'how' to eat properly when we have reached our goals, so that our thinness and maintaining it, will be a way of life for us for the rest of our lives. Why keep re-starting Medifast over and over again, like it is some kind of security blanket that gives us permission to eat all the foods whenever we want, which, of course, got us here in the first place? Sure, goodies and other high cal items are waiting at the other end, and I certainly will partake in them--but not all at once, not every day, not every week, and as you said, Robin, vigilence will always need to rule! A promise to God and myself, I will never be fat again! Never!
Joan

[SharonR]

Yeah I wanna know now that you have been home a couple of days, did you lose the weight that you gained? I can gain 4 pounds in 2 days of off plan eating and lose it again in two days back on plan. So if you go right back on, you will lose it all the quicker. If you wait a week to try and take it off it will take all that much longer....IMHO of course and my experiance.

[alpha femme]

yeah, just to make a point...

i had my first lean n green in a while yesterday, and i am "up" 1.5lbs today.
by tonight, i'm sure i will have flushed that "fat" away.

[Disney Mike]

Maybe I am taking this all the wrong way but I seem to find these postings a little offensive,

“Why keep re-starting Medifast over and over again, like it is some kind of security blanket that gives us permission to eat all the foods whenever we want, which, of course, got us here in the first place? Sure, goodies and other high cal items are waiting at the other end, and I certainly will partake in them--but not all at once, not every day, not every week”


Maybe it was not meant that way but when you re-read it sounds as if I get off and on the program to enjoy what I want.

As far as dedication, I have stuck to this plan to a T, with only two exceptions, one being a vacation and the other being this recent business trip. Overall, I have lost 54 pounds in 9 weeks and that includes the gains I had over the two trips. I feel as though I am a model of determination and consistency. I have 4 friends and coworkers that have joined the program due to my success.

I have busted my tail on this program to make it work and I go out and say, “you know, I have lost 54# and this is a milestone” and I have a dinner of 711 calories and that is a liberal figure. I had a total of 1110 calories for the day mind you, and as the carbs go, I had 21 carbs over my regular MF diet that I consume daily due to the slice of bread, fries and wine.

When I got on the scale today, I had lost 3.2# of the 6 that I gained and I spent the morning with my Dr. buddy and we discussed the program and his comment was exactly the same as mine ”How do you ever plan to get off or will you just eat MF forever?” He feels that it was just water retention and it can be up to 5# in some people but this is not a good sign if every normal meal you eat you hold onto 5# of fluids. And his point was this, I had a normal meal, a very normal meal, not excessive by any stretch. Keep in mind, I had a glass of wine, 6 fries, some bacon, cheese, salad, chicken, and a piece of bread for a total of 711 calories. He suggests a 1500 calorie diet to people to lose weight and I was 26% under that figure and showed a gain. His point is valid, how do you transition?

I plan to continue to use MF until I reach my goal weight and I am now considering even going past my original goal due to the huge water gain that I have experienced over the last couple of days. I am a big advocate of MF as I would not be where I am today with out this program, having stated that, I am very unsure of how to transition to regular food. I now have a better understanding of portion control and will have to utilize that in the future. Concerning exercise, I walk at least 3 miles a day, usually 30 minutes morning and evening, whereas I never did any prior to using MF.

Again, my main dilemma is the fact the food future looks very dim at this point. Looking back on the deal, will there be no wine, bread, cheese or fries???? I ate these items in extreme moderation and had a dinner consisting of 1/3 of what I would have normally eaten and did not have any results. In the past I would have consumed 2 loaves of bread, ½ a plate of cheese fries and 2-3 beers as well as dessert. I know I can’t ever eat like that again, it is not healthy.

My point is this, I used the moderation method and it did not work. What do you do when you get off MF?

[DogMa]

I don't think she was directing that at you, necessarily.

In any case, I think the gradual transition helps. Suddenly eating a bunch of extra fat and carbs - and all at one sitting - is different from gradually adding foods back into your daily life.

Beyond that, most people (at least the successful ones) DO continue to eat Medifast forever. They add more foods to it, as per the transition and maintenance plan, on a daily basis. And occasionally they might have a meal like you described (not, however, a whole loaf of bread and whatever else you mentioned as the way you used to eat; we all know where the way we used to eat got us). Do they bounce up a couple of pounds when they do? I don't know for sure, but probably they do, and then it comes back off in a few days.

Check out some of Nancy's posts about how she eats these days. She eats, I believe, three or four Medifast meals a day, but she'll add a few nuts or berries to her oatmeal, and some broccoli to her broccoli soup. And she'll sometimes have a cheeseburger and fries, or a piece of pie. But not every day, and not all in one meal.

You may need to redefine what you view as normal eating. Bacon and cheese and fries (even just a few), plus bread and alcohol, isn't really a normal, healthy meal. Can you have that once in a while on maintenance? Sure. How often will depend on you and your body and what you eat the rest of the time. Can you have that as a normal daily meal and not gain? I seriously doubt it.

[Nancy]

Hi there, Disney Mike ~

Congratulations to you for your 54 pound loss! You will not have to hermitize and stay in your room while the others socialize and carry on with a fork and knife.

I can understand your concern; weight management does take fierce commitment and diligence to follow the program, all phases of the program. It sounds like you have the weight loss phase down.

Thanks for listing what you ate the other day – just a quick question or two – did you eat anythingother than the three meals you mentioned? Just the MF oatmeal and the two restaurant meals?
If so, allow me to do a little teaching here – we need to eat 5-6 times a day, every three hours. SO if you have your Medifast oatmeal for breakfast and intend to dine out for lunch and supper, then be sure to have a midmorning and afternoon Medimeal as well as an evening Medifast ‘nightcap’ unless your supper was rather late.

For your consideration:
6:30 MF Oatmeal
9:30 MF shake
noonish your blackened chicken salad
2:30 MF shake
5 MF shake
7:30 Outback supper as you outlined

If you ate earlier in the evening about 5 PM, then have a shake at bedtime so you get in a meal every three hours or so.

If you dine with the clients for breakfast, you could consider having a Medifast shake or oatmeal in your room and then when you meet with them, just have coffee or a pot of tea or you could stir into a cup of hot water, a packet of chai or cappuccino. Only one third of Americans typically eat breakfast so if you had your Medifast in your room and just had coffee or tea with your clients, it would not be out of the ordinary.

When a person reaches their goal weight, the transition plan has them gradually add back regular foods, progressively increasing the daily caloric intake. When done over a period of time and keeping your water intake at your regular program level, weight re-gain will not be as apparent as when a person goes from the 5 & 1 weight loss phase to the maintenance plus a few extra calorie plan.

There is more sodium in restaurant-prepared and or processed foods than what a person on the 5 & 1 program eats – that will account for some of the re-gain. When a person begins transition and is adding back more calories, we must be sure that exercise is part of the equation, to help raise the metabolism that has lowered as a result of the weight loss phase.

I find when I travel or am involved in meetings and presentations etc., my water intake routine suffers and it can contribute to weight gain, too. Having a few fries or a piece of bread will not bring on 6 pounds overnight but when a person has not had very much activity, forfeited a few glasses of water and increased their sodium intake it can show up on the scale the next day or so. Are you getting as much sleep as usual?

In some ways, Mike, what you’ve described as your food intake has taken you from the 5 & 1 Weight Loss Phase directly to Maintenance, skipping the gradual reintroduction of regular foods.

I am confident that you will soon drop those recent additions and as you taper off some of the Medifast packets and reintroduce the regular foods, you will establish a routine that works well for you.

Many people find that it is so convenient and much easier brain-wise to use several packets of Medifast a day for breakfast, a mid-morning or afternoon snack (or an evening snack) than it is to plan, shop for and quickly prepare a 100-150 calorie low carb meal using regular food. Yes, there are a lot of nutritious healthy natural foods available in markets today but most of us do not take the time to plan our meals a few days in advance and then shop for the foods. Many of us gravitate to a “Grab It & Go” lifestyle and that’s part of the beauty of Medifast – it is just plain healthy, fast food!

Now about the next four eating events…use as many shakes as you are able when you are not eating those regular food meals; keep up your usual water intake, and eat every three hours.

Yes, there is wine, cheese, bacon and bread in your future – after the transition phase. For me, it is not every day.

See my comments in the maintenance web room, Mike. (I'd write more but I'm just popping in here for a few minutes. My Mom's recovering from surgery and I just brought her home this evening. I stopped by our house to grab a few things before I head back to the parental units!)

Your metabolism is low now because you have been on the weight loss phase, as time goes by and you begin to step up your exercise a bit, your metabolism will increase, too. I am not a gym rat either - just about 45 minutes most every day.

Give your body some time to adjust. Keep us informed of your progress!

[SharonR]

Good ~ Good advise Nancy, as always!