Need to switch programs and I am nervous

[disneymom3]

Hi all,
I don't post much on this board, but I do read. I have been doing Medifast for a month and have lost 16 lbs. I have days when I hate it and days when I am really happy with it. However, it is pricey and we just had to fix our car to the tune of $1800 and that basically used up the money I had set aside to do the program for three months. So, I have to switch to something else. I don't know what. I know Atkins would probably drive me crazy in the long run and I really don't like the WW points system. What I really would like is if someone would just tell me, have this this and some of that each day adn I could check off my little boxes or whatever. I am nervous. I have liked the quick weight loss and had no intention or expectation of continuing that way forever, but I have about 100lbs to lose and this quick start has been really good to get me motivated.

If you don't know what it is, Medifast is a bit like Optifast except you have one meal a day that they refer to as lean and green(protein and salad) Otherwise it is their shakes or other meal replacements.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I don't think I can give you the answer. I wish I had it too.

As you transition to the real food, always keep in mind that you are making healthy choices. Try to figure out what you want to be eating maybe a day ahead of time. It might help you to balance out your eating.

If Atkins won't be your choice or WW either, maybe South Beach. I don't follow SB, but have heard many say that it works for them. You may have to work through a couple of things before you find the right fit for you.

Most importantly is to keep on keepin' on. Don't quit. You can get through it.

 

[Barb D]

Counting with WW isn't as bad as you might think -- especially if you don't mind eating the same things each day anyway (as you are with your shakes.) You quickly learn how many points your favorite things are. For instance, I know that the non-fat sugar free yogurt I eat for a mid-morning snack almost every day is 2 points. A Slimfast bar is 4 points. A snack size bag of 94% fat free popcorn is 2 points.

WW also has the core program, which has a specific list of allowed foods and no counting.

 

[disneymom3]

Thanks for the encouragement. I am transitioning into SBD starting today. I am a little nervous that my weight will go up a bit initially, but I know I can get it back down too. South Beach just makes sense to me and since I need to be working on preventing diabetes, it seems a good fit.

As a friend pointed out to me, "you can't drink shakes forever and you knew you were going to do something else eventually, your eventually just came sooner than you planned." Good insight.

 

[pixiedust23]

I'm not a big fan of the low carb diets and in all the studies they seem to have the same short term results as low fat but much worse results in the long term aka people dont like to stay low carb forever and gain the weight back when they hop off the low carb train. I would recommend a low calorie diet and try to appropriately divy up your calories to protein, carbs, and fats. Fitday.com will help you with that a lot. Just plug in what you ate for the day and it will tell you how many calories you ate, and what perentages of each macromolecule.

 

[disneymom3]

Pixiedust--have you read the South Beach Diet book? It really isn't low carb or low fat, it just focuses on balance and healthy combinations of foods. (In other words, if you eat carbs, also have some protein.)

I tried Atkins long ago and quit because I knew it was not something I could maintain for the long term. I know many people have great success with and feel it is the best way of life for them, but it didn't work for me.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I thought I would check to see how you are progressing. I hope you have found something that will take you to your success!

 

[chrismiss56]

Julie -

Have you researched WW CORE plan - it is similar to South Beach using healthy low carb lifestyle while still eating what you want. I am on it and really like it because I HATE COUNTING POINTS AND JOURNALING

If South Beach doesn't work for you try WW Core........

Good Luck - I know you can do it...........

Have a Magical Disney Day!!

Linda

 

[bicker]

I can imagine your distress. My wife and I were lucky enough to be able to complete our weight-loss using HMR (similar to Optifast), and I know how much more difficult it would have been if we couldn't. I wish you all the best with your new program! My recommendation is to remember what you learned, especially the value of meal replacements crowding out higher-calorie foods, to the extent you can afford to apply that learning.