Going Off Medifast

mrsd1006

I have been on Medifast since the end of October and have gone from 192 to 158 but my weight loss has stalled and I am getting bored, not to mention I have 8 days before I need more food and do not want to spend $300 again when I am 13lbs from my goal.

I have been looking into options to shake things up using real food but I am looking for ideas on what could work best other than straight calorie counting, since I don't want to add back in grains/sugars/carbs. Any ideas or suggestions for transitioning to "real" food?

helenarriaza

Eat whatever you want. Weigh it. Log it.

Nothing else will work.

mrsd1006

I guess my main concern is what will happen when I go off-- will my body freak out and go crazy? Or is it simple to just eat grain free and track it all? I have gained weight back twice after losing so I am scared to wind up close to 200lbs again

cityruss

Well unless you are going to continue for the rest of your life you're going to have to find out at some point.

Why do you feel you have to deprive yourself of grains/sugar/carbs? Do you have a medical issue?

Would a better idea be to eat a well balanced diet, utilizing a balance of all the food groups and macronutrients that you can sustain as a lifestyle instead of yo-yo dieting using fad diets?

Just out of interest what does your $300 get you?

mrsd1006

I do better without grains/sugars, they are my downfall and have proven to be a problem for weight gain in the past. I feel way better without them.

$300 gets me medifast meals but nothing else. It was worth it because I needed to do something drastic as my doctor was concerned for my heart. I also have severe anxiety which has gotten better.

But yes, I am really not looking for a diet but I fear if I add back in tons of fruit tomorrow my body would freak out. If my body is in ketosis and I change that I fear the scale jumping up quickly. I guess I just wondered if there is anything to worry about when making that kind of change

chouflour

One strategy might be to log a couple of example days of the medifast packets + lean and green meals (plus any extras) you've been eating. Then set your MFP targets to match what you've been eating. You can change one thing at a time and see how it affects you.

kim_m_kk

you can eat real food and stay in ketosis lots of people do it. I have done it in the past - but not currently doing it. I am staying away from bread, pasta, rice, and white potatoes because they raise my blood sugar but eating lots of vegetables so lowish carb but not truly low carb.

randomworldgirl

mrsd1006 wrote: »

I have been on Medifast since the end of October and have gone from 192 to 158 but my weight loss has stalled and I am getting bored, not to mention I have 8 days before I need more food and do not want to spend $300 again when I am 13lbs from my goal.

I have been looking into options to shake things up using real food but I am looking for ideas on what could work best other than straight calorie counting, since I don't want to add back in grains/sugars/carbs. Any ideas or suggestions for transitioning to "real" food?

Hi. I started Medifast in February 2014 and down almost 70 pounds. I have been learning (on my own) how to replace their items with real food for the same reason... it's expensive! I figured out what my macros needed to be in order to continue losing without having to rely on their products completely. However, I like their protein bars, so I still have 2 a day. (Also, I'm allergic to tree nuts and I've yet to find a brand that is comparable in macros that do not have nuts).

Anyway, if you want to follow their program without using their food just enter into your diary a typical day of your 5&1 and then see where you're at on your macros. You should be in the range of the following:

About 1,200 Calories
Less than 100g Carbs
35-50g Fat
100-120g Protein
Less than 35g of Sugar

Your best bet is to stick with non-starchy vegetables, fruits (low sugar), lean protein, and healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado). You have to be careful with the fats because they are high in calories and you still need a calorie deficit in order to lose.

Here are some suggestions for foods:
Low fat cheese sticks
Boiled Eggs
Special K Protein Cereal (Plain)
Yoplait Greek 100 Yogurt (any flavor)
Grilled Salmon
Baked Chicken
Bacon (Pork or Turkey, whichever your prefer)
Baked Boneless Pork Chops
Grilled Steak
Red/Yellow/Green Peppers, Yellow Squash, Zuccini, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Asparagus, Broccolini, Cauliflower
Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries

There are all the other guidelines regarding water, sleep, and activity... but I won't get into that because you only asked about food. Hope this helps a little. Congrats on your success and good luck with those last 13 pounds. You'll get there!

Oh and just an afterthought... you really need to figure out your TDEE/BMR so you can figure out and adjust your macros for maintenance.

Believe it or not, Medifast does teach you this. People just don't know it.

Teresa8570

I work for medifast ... Is there a center close where you can go weigh in ? I know the counselor there will help you into transition and then into maintance

NikonPal

I think randomworldgirl makes a lot of good points. I tried Medifast about 5 years ago. I just couldn’t stick with it after a few months, given the roughly 200 pounds I needed to lose, the expense and fact that I just didn’t care for most of the food (for an extended period of time). I am not against Medifast – it just wasn’t for me and the plan I devised works better – for me.

I have lost 181 pounds so far -- after re-setting my goal a few times. I plan to stop after the next 7 pound loss and continue to improve strength etc. and see where the "mirror" not scale shows me in a few months.

My best decision was MFP – 1st time I ever succeeded this long (over a year); no way will I ever re-gain that weight (I have never made that statement in the past). I used several of the Medifast “principles” in developing my own program. My meals are delicious. I am never tired of the food I prepare...and I don't really ever get hungry.

NUTRITION & CALORIES are my focus points. I don’t have cheat foods/days etc. I plan all my caloric intake and burn.

I do NOT diet and I know the “new lifestyle” phrase is getting a bit old – but it does apply. My habits, tastes and activities have all changed.

Here is a small sample of my meals --



GOOD LUCK TO YOU !



As a recent Mayo Clinic article noted: “…Despite all the diet strategies out there, weight management still comes down to the calories you take in versus those you burn off. Fad diets may promise you that avoiding carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit is the secret to weight loss, but it's really all about calories….” Just google: “Counting calories: Get back to weight-loss basics” for the entire article.