Weight-Loss Update: It's About Time!

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I started using Medifast on March 2.

As of May 2 (that's two months later, for those of you as math-challenged as I am), I'm down 25+ pounds.

Now. If you've been paying any kind of attention at all, you know that I have been very disciplined about adhering to the Medifast plan mostly.  But not entirely.

Because sometimes you have events to go to and sometimes those events involve non-diet pork. And sadly, I have not yet discovered Pinot Noir Zero.  So, you know. And then there are the other times when I've been out at restaurants or get-togethers and done my very, very best to eat a Medifast-approved "lean and green" meal, but it's really hard to trust what the restaurants put in stuff, and next thing you know you're all, okay, yes, this IS a "light" egg white omelet, except it seems to have made in three pounds of butter.

The key thing I've learned for my own sake and sanity is that when I do go "off plan," it's much better to find a way to not go crazy with carbs.  So I never indulge in sugar, ever.  Because -- and I've learned this the hard way -- if you knock yourself out of ketosis (and anyone who's done Atkins knows what I'm talking about here), it can take a good 3-4 days to get back on track. And those 3-4 days when you're sticking like glue to the plan and not losing weight? Those days are really, really hard.  Not just because you're not losing weight, but because your body is readjusting and that feels really energy-depleting. (Uh, not to mention mood altering.)

So now I have to ask myself if it's ever worth going through another tiresome, plateau-y transition period just so I can have a few beers and a dozen Saltine crackers. (I can't explain why THIS is what I chose to eat, but I did.  I mean, if I'm going to splurge, WHY NOT JUST HAVE A SLICE OF CAKE LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN? I don't know.)

But, so, and. I guess my bottom line here is this:

The first month on Medifast was an adjustment period.  I really had to focus on it in order to "get" it.  I had to figure out which foods I liked and how to make "lean and green" meals that I would really enjoy. I had to get used to having good days and bad, hungry days and energized days. I had to deal with having a week where I'd lose 5-7 pounds and then another week where I'd lose only 1 pound doing the exact same thing. I had to understand how my body reacts when I go off-plan, and had to come to grips with how hard it can be to get back on a track of steadily losing again.  The sad truth is that one day of splurging can, as I've complained about above, require a full week to recover.

The second month on Medifast was in some ways muuuuch easier. I was in a groove for sure, and following the plan was easy. That is, it was easy when my time was my own.  It just so happened, however, that in that second month I started working again. And trying to balance work obligations and deadlines and meetings AND A BABY was a lot harder and required a lot more of my attention than I expected. And then there were about ninety-eleven social engagements that cropped up from out of nowhere and visits from out-of-towners and then for EXTRA ADDED FUN, my gall bladder attacks started.

So the concept of being on Medifast was way easier in month two. The reality of life intervening, doing everything it could think of to thwart my "schedule," however, was challenging. I did a good job, ultimately, it just wasn't quite a by-the-book job.

And yet in my 9th week, I'm closing in on 30 pounds lost. 

Which is pretty great if you ask me.

Reminder: If you'd like to give Medifast a try, I'd love to hear about it. (Ms. KSham -- how's it going for you?) I am also offering a discount: Use code SHEWALKS to get $50 off an order of $275. (Offer is only good one-time and will expire on May 31.)

Also: The Medifast honey-mustard pretzel things are like crack sticks. 


Medifast is sponsoring my Medifast meals in exchange for my writing about my experiences with the program.