This program works. Read everything here all these people have helped me tremendously! Good luck you can do it..

This is certainly not always easy, but it is still honestly the easiest diet to stick to for me of all the ones I've ever tried. Just get through those first few days of "carb detox" and the sailing gets much smoother. Look at people's tickers and you will see that many people lost lots of weight on Medifastand you can too!.

This is do-able. I started in March, and even though I had to stop the 5 &1 plan for 6 weeks as I recovered from hip surgery, I have lost 64 pounds. I have rarely felt hungry, and I sleep better. I have more energy..

My teaching colleague has lost over 40 since May. She started at a lower weight, and has less to lose..

Be open minded about the Medifast meals, and give many a try. I did not think I would like the cinnamon roll crunch bars, but they are now a favorite..

Find some lean and greens you like. Drink the water. Re-read the Quick Start Guide on a regular basis. Read Dr. A's Habits of Health (I just started and wish I had read it much sooner!)..

Use these boards for inspiration and motivation. I just saw a post from one lady that had lost over 350 pounds!.

You have taken the first step on your road to optimal health. Keep walking! Good luck!.

I am only on day 4 and today has been the hardest day so far. Feeling extremely tired yet wired with insomnia last night. I have 40 to lose but want to be down 20 by end of October. I am typically active but have not been this week simply as a result of fatigue. IS all this normal? Are my goals realistic?.

It goes faster than you think! I've lost 160+ lbs in 11 months. Back in September of last year, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Now that light is big bold and brilliant. I would never have imagined..

Be active on the boards. Do lots of research on good L&Gs and you'll be fine!.

Good luck!.

Kendrakkg. I am new too. Day 5. My toughest day food wise was day 1 or 2. But the day I felt the worst was day 4. I was cranky and tired and wanted to bite someone's head off (better than biting off plan food I guess?).

Came home and announced, "I'm irritable. Back off!" because they are wise, the husband and daughter kept their distance. But today, day 5, I felt better. And each day I "lust" after off plan foods less and less. Today I didnt even think twice about the community cake on the desk behind me.



I have read a lot of boards and there is a big variance on which day each person felt the worst but it common at some point in the first week. Just remember it will pass! Hang in there..

What Steve said! I lost 100lbs in just a bit over 6 months..

You'll FEEL WAY better long before you hit goal Darling!.

I started at 366, so very close to your number. (I actually lost 16 lbs prior to MF, thus my little star below my signature)....

I am turning 50 next year. How lucky for you that you found this so much earlier than I..

You will do great. keep coming back to the boards for inspiration and motivation and sharing your journey. Pretty soon, you'll be dishing out advise and sharing your NSV's..

Cheers.

Lisa.

That's awesome! Here is a You Tube link to a Stacey Hawkins video..

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C0GAJcnzu8.

The life change is the most important thing to take away from this journey. If you can master your lean and greens, the life change will be so much more rewarding. Stacey can teach you how to make staying on plan enjoyable, not tolerable...and what you learn from her will benefit you for the rest of your life. Welcome to the boards!.

Thank you for all the welcomes and words of encouragement!! I am so eager for my food to arrive already so I can really dive into this!!.

Cookie and Kendra - welcome! Medifast is the BEST PLAN EVER! That first week is ROUGH! On days 3&4, I was so weak, dizzy, nauseous, I just went to bed to get thru it. But then when day 5 came, I had detoxed and felt better. Loads of energy. And the best part? No carb cravings. So once you get thru the first week, the physical challenge is over. Then it's just the head work!.

Be sure to take your measurements and if you can, learn your body fat %. Sometimes the scale doesn't move, but the body fat and measurements keep going down even without weight loss. And take a before pic in tighter fitting clothes. I did a before pic in my normal clothes and it's harder to see the difference in how I look..

The recipe boards saved me in the beginning. I'm not much of a cook and struggled with the L&G until I found.

Www.sandyskitchenadventures.com.

I often make a week's L&G and freeze it for meals all week. My absolute FAVE is meat lasagna. I add peppers and mushrooms to it and it's a delish meal - for MFers and others..

Good luck! You guys have the right stuff to make this work. And we're here to support you..

This is by far the easiest and fastest diet I've ever been on..

I had 160 or so to lose at my start, I also felt overwhelmed.. but then the lbs started melting off and it seemed more doable..

For myself I set mini goals so I'm not constantly thinking x # of lbs til my goal weight, I think 10 lbs til my next non food reward. It helped me feel less overwhelmed..

The first week is the roughest, because it is like a detox - stick through it because you'll feel good after..

Welcome and use these boards often!.

Welcome Cookie, and congratulations for taking the first big step to getting healthy! Medifast is a wonderful program for weight loss. I never thought I could be so content on a "diet" before now!.

Take some time now before your food arrives to explore these discussion boards, read the Quick Start Guide (found under "Success Tools") and ask questions! Participating in these boards has made a world of difference to my success on this program. Find the famous thread called "Things I wish I'd known before starting MF...". It's full of VERY helpful information on how to work with the food..

Best to you!.

Welcome! You've made a great choice. When I started, I had 150 lbs to lose which honestly seemed insurmountable to me. But 4.5 months later and closing on 60 lbs. gone, my outlook is completely different. The goal is attainable with Medifast and it''s actually gotten easier for me as time has passed. I'll be 50 next year and wished I done this a long time ago..

Good for you for taking the first step! I found it easiest to keep it simple at first (helps that I'm a boring cook), read the getting started guide over and over and other guides in the 'success tools' tab, read these boards for all the great people and advice here (learning to NOT mix the meals as directed has made this food taste so much better). And don't worry, once the weight starts dropping, it really helps with the motivation to stick to it!.

Good luck!.

I am with coco160 - I think keeping it simple at first helps understand all the ins and outs. I have been doing this since February 29 and I still have very basic lean and green meals. Adding condiments and snacks and such can come later when you have a good grasp on the plan. The hardest part is the first few days when your body has a lot of adjusting to do. You have been eating too many calories and I am guessing, if you are like me, the wrong foods to fuel your body. Starting medifast means you are providing your body what it needs - not what it wants..

The plan is one of the easiest you will find...but staying committed and on plan is not easy. We haven't gotten overweight overnight so the process to lose weight and recognizing what it will take to keep losing and then maintaing a healthy weight won't happen overnight either..

The medifast foods will not taste like the foods you have been eating. The consistency is not what one might expect. But, I am sure all of us would say the same thing, "Give it time." You may gag on the oatmeal at first but it may become one of your favorites. There are folks who will eat the same thing for all 5 of the medifast meals. Some mix it up between two or three. It doesn't matter.

Just be sure to get all 5 in every day. Having fewer will not increase your weight loss. Another thing I will stress for you is the importance of WATER...and that is plain, undiluted water. We are burning fat and the only way to get rid of it is by "tinkling" it away. Your body needs water for all it's complicated functions.

And you can't county the coffee or soda pop or tea. I really notice bigger losses when I am faithful about drinking all my water every day. And yes, you will probably be up at night getting rid of it, but I can't stress enough the importance of drinking enough - or more - water every day!.

Keep track of what you eat. Gum, sugar free jello or popsicles, etc. all add up as food in your body. I am such a gum chewer that I now take one little piece of trident and it makes 3 pieces since I just bite off a little to make my mouth taste better..

I was very thankful when I discovered lite laughing cow cheese as a healthy fat option. Check it out. I eat it with my "greens.".

I have read time and time again that the plan works if you work the plan. That is so true. Folks here are wonderful - rely on us for encouragement, advice and recognition for your accomplishments..

One day at a time with one medifast meal at a time! Go for it!.

Korinne.

Cookie - Congratulations on making the decision to start! My only regret is not doing it sooner!.

Kendra - 20 pounds in two months is an obtainable goal! Just stick to the program and you will succeed! My suggestion is not to focus on how much you're losing, but to focus on sticking to the program and not get so caught up in the numbers. I remember the first week being the hardest, especially days 2 through 4. I had horrible headaches, nausea, and lightheadedness. I'm a regular exerciser but couldn't even go for walks during those bad first days. After that, it got a lot better and I don't even have cravings anymore. I'm in my ninth week now and haven't had a slip yet.

You'll be so glad you did!.

Crissy.

You made a great choice to start this program. Welcome..

Stick with it and it will work. Check out people's tickers for motivation! That really helped me at first..

Good for you to be posting already and looking for help. That is the great part about this diet too. You are not alone and this community is awesome support!.

OMG!! I am so flippin' anxious for my food to arrive! I just don't know what to do with myself, so I'm having a massive bad-food kiss off party everyday! If my food doesn't get here soon I'll have ANOTHER 100 pounds to lose!!.

Cannot wait to really get into this!.