Program not working well?
GabyBaby916
Posts: 385 Member
I'm sure this has been posted before, but I'm worried that I'm stalled out or that this simply isnt working for me.
I've been on MF for exactly 5 weeks today. In those 5 weeks:
Week 1: Lost 7.4lbs
Week 2: Lost 1lb
Week 3: Gained 2lb
Week 4: Lost 2lbs
Week 5: No movement
I did take my measurements at the start and in a month, I lost an inch off my waist, thighs, and hips.
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy with the loss and I know the amount I've lost is about right with the average 2-5lbs per week (when you average out my total loss for the month) BUT this program is pretty pricey to keep gaining/losing the same 2-3lbs repeatedly.
In weeks 4 and 5, I completely went shakes only for my 5 meals, then my LG meal was either fish or chicken (weighed out appropriately and seasoned with no sodium Mrs, Dash) and spinach or zucchini noodles as the green. The fat was usually a wedge or two of LC Lite Cheese.
I drink a minimum of 100oz of water daily (2 34-oz bottles during the work and 1-2 more during the evening).
I walk 2 miles per day during the work week and 5 miles on either Saturday or Sunday. (I was told I could continue doing this since I'd already been walking for a long while before starting MF. I simply slowed the pace for the first few weeks after starting MF).
Any words of wisdom from program veterans? I DO have a coach, but she is notoriously difficult to get in contact with (unanswered emails and voicemails).
Thanks!
I've been on MF for exactly 5 weeks today. In those 5 weeks:
Week 1: Lost 7.4lbs
Week 2: Lost 1lb
Week 3: Gained 2lb
Week 4: Lost 2lbs
Week 5: No movement
I did take my measurements at the start and in a month, I lost an inch off my waist, thighs, and hips.
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy with the loss and I know the amount I've lost is about right with the average 2-5lbs per week (when you average out my total loss for the month) BUT this program is pretty pricey to keep gaining/losing the same 2-3lbs repeatedly.
In weeks 4 and 5, I completely went shakes only for my 5 meals, then my LG meal was either fish or chicken (weighed out appropriately and seasoned with no sodium Mrs, Dash) and spinach or zucchini noodles as the green. The fat was usually a wedge or two of LC Lite Cheese.
I drink a minimum of 100oz of water daily (2 34-oz bottles during the work and 1-2 more during the evening).
I walk 2 miles per day during the work week and 5 miles on either Saturday or Sunday. (I was told I could continue doing this since I'd already been walking for a long while before starting MF. I simply slowed the pace for the first few weeks after starting MF).
Any words of wisdom from program veterans? I DO have a coach, but she is notoriously difficult to get in contact with (unanswered emails and voicemails).
Thanks!
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Replies
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try the mixed berry essentials calorie burn flavorings.0
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Thanks Staci, but unfortunately, I'm hesitant to spend money on more products when the ones I have (that are supposed to work so well) arent quite working out as planned.... =/0
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What are your calorie totals, and other macros?0
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I plan my meals the night before so I can make sure I stay under my limits for carbs and calories.
My maximums are:
Calories 1000 (but I am generally in the 850-950 range)
Protein 125g (I usually come in around 110g)
Carbs 75g (I'm usually around 70-75g)
Fat 22g (I’m usually a little over, around 25-30g)
Fiber 30g (and I usually come in around 20-25g)
Sodium 2500 (I’m usually under at around 1800-2000)
In reading the other boards here on site, I'm starting to worry that my body is in starvation mode with the low calorie count, but that's part of how this plan works, right? Looking at the overall nutrition we get daily, the nutrients are there in the meal replacements.0 -
Well, let's see. if you lose 2 lbs a week, or 1lb a week, in 6 months you'll lose 25 lbs. That's what i tell myself. I have never had huge losses. I use an app called "Tactio Health" which shows not only weight loss, but the trend over time. It gives you a date when you'll meet your goal. I find it motivational.
That said, i have been struggling to start back on medifast for 6 months. I kept getting sick and then i was just afraid to swear off food.
I don't know how much exactly, i lost the first week, but i think it was around 5 lbs (doctor's scale - not my scale).
2nd week, lost 2 lbs
3rd week. cheated with chicken on sunday. gained 2 lbs. still not back to where i was on saturday.
But, i can see my overall progress, so i'm going to give it a few more days.
I think also, sometimes medifast backs you up, and once you go to the bathroom, you lose weight. that could be the 2 lb fluctuation that you're seeing.0 -
Thanks for responding and I'll definitely look into that app.
So far, bathroom issues havent come up (I think my high water intake helps a lot with that). The week that I gained was when I was on my time of the month, so the gain wasnt surprising. I was (admittedly) disappointed when the loss the following week wasnt more than the 2lbs I'd gained given that I'm eating on plan (except on Easter, but I stayed as close to the line as I could).
I hate to "complain" since I have lost and I feel really good (energetic, etc), but I cant afford to stay on this plan for 6 months to "only" lose 15-20lbs. At $300/month for the program food, I'm already over what my family typically spends in a month for our entire family of 4!0 -
Also, check your veggies. I stopped losing weight and it turned out that i was eating brussels sprouts, which were not an approved veggie.
Stopped eating brussels sprouts, started losing weight. I drink 12-15 cups of water a day (i don't count what i drink overnight from the big bottle on my nightstand. sometimes i refill it halfway through the night)
I can't possibly drink more water.0 -
Thanks again for hanging in here Staci!
I go by the approved veggies on green list. I rarely stray from these veggies and my "go to" favorites are raw baby spinach , zucchini, cauliflower, jicama, turnips, and iceberg lettuce (buns for my turkey burgers!).
I dont do add ins (like adding cheese into the MF Mac and Cheese to improve flavor) and I've been weighing/measuring everything that goes into my mouth from the beginning (except on Easter, when I had to eyeball things).
Grrrrrrrr........to be 18yrs old and slender again!
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Hm...I'm looking at your carbs, and I'm almost thinking that they're a smidge TOO low?
I stick to the plan, and my carbs usually fall in the 80-85 range.....I think I'd have a difficult time regularly hitting only 70, and still get in all 5 of the MF meals, and the proper amounts of veggies for the L&G.
(I most usually have a big salad with my meal - 2 c of lettuce greens, and 1/2 a cup of peppers, or mushrooms, or a combination, plus the 2T of approved dressing. For instance, my meal for March 14 (randomly picked) was 2c of sweet butter salad mix (2 carbs), .5 c of white mushrooms (2 carbs), .5 c of tomatoes (4 carbs...that was 'extra'), 2 T italian dressing (3 carbs), and tilapia (0 carbs). That makes 11 carbs for that meal. My MF meals were 3 meals at 15 carbs, and 2 meals at 13 carbs....so my total was 89 carbs. Even if you subtract the 'extra' .5 c of tomatoes, that only takes away 4 carbs...making 85 carbs. I just don't know what I'd cut, to make it to 70 carbs.....unless I skipped one of the MF meals, which is not a good idea. If that's possibly what you're doing, then I would recommend being sure to eat ALL the prescribed meals. But maybe you're just regularly eating mostly the lower-carb MF meals??)
I've also heard that the 80-85 range is what is 'ideal' for the fat-burning/weight loss. I'm not sure what makes it more ideal than a lower amount, but perhaps it has something to do with the idea of 'fuel for the fire'?0 -
did you start exercising? If so, how much?
How much do you have left to lose?
These may not sound important but if your stalling they are the "go to" questions.
As far as your coach is concerned... I suggest hitting up the MF boards. there are some good coaches over there who post regularly. its very easy to change your coach.0 -
You could try upping your carbs to 85-90. When I first started I ate in the 70s carb range. Once I started to lose weight I need to up them to the higher end and I started losing more weight.0
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Thanks for the replies!
I'd been walking for months before starting MF, so I was told I could continue (albeit at a slower pace).
I'd like to lose another 30-35lbs.
I'll definitely look into finding a new coach, since my current one isn't making the grade.
As for increasing the amount of carbs, I thought we needed to be under 85 to maintain ketosis? Its definitely worth a try though!
Thanks!0 -
Thanks for the replies!
I'd been walking for months before starting MF, so I was told I could continue (albeit at a slower pace).
I'd like to lose another 30-35lbs.
I'll definitely look into finding a new coach, since my current one isn't making the grade.
As for increasing the amount of carbs, I thought we needed to be under 85 to maintain ketosis? Its definitely worth a try though!
Thanks!
As far as I understand it, under 100 should maintain ketosis, 80-85 is optimal. But I say that with the caveat that I would imagine that everyone's body is a bit different, so one person might stay in ketosis just fine at 100 carbs, and another person might need to stay under 85 or 90. But I'm no scientist, just surmising.0 -
personally I would back off the exercise for a couple of weeks. Just my opinion and it doesn't cost anything
The loss is going to be slower with what you have left to lose.
As far as the carb thing goes....it is correct that everyone is different. I lost my first bunch of pounds staying under 80. now I have slowed down so i'm thinking about upping a little bit to see if that helps.
With all this said I think your first step is getting a new coach. The poster named "kb1968" on the MF boards gives pretty solid advice from what I have read.0 -
I'll increase my carbs to about 85 and back off my walking routine for a couple of weeks and see what happens.
Thanks for the help and tips!0 -
I exercise a lot and always have (45 min spinning classes and 4 mile runs several times a week) and regardless of what people say, I don't think walking is killing your weight loss plan. Your carbs do seem low. I measure all my greens and have a difficult time getting my carbs below 85 g/day. Yesterday, my carbs were 86 g. So maybe check your measurements? I'm just guessing here. I also don't really believe in the starvation mode theory but your body could be holding onto something as it adjusts. Sometimes weight loss is a smooth downward slope and sometimes it's like steps. Are you drinking soda? My friend told me she stopped drinking soda and her weight loss improved. Again, just guessing. Good luck and patience!0
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Hi Irisia and thanks for your response,
No, I dont drink sodas (regular or diet) since the carbonation bugs me. Even when I wasnt on this eating plan I had maybe half a dozen sodas per year.
I'll admit it seems counterintuitive to decrease exercise and increase carbs. I'll try increasing carbs first as I really enjoy my walks (as do my three dogs, hehehe).0 -
Something else I've found really does make a difference, and isn't covered in the exercise, macro and water equation, is the amount of sleep I'm getting. MUST have a solid 7-8 hours of sleep per night for weight loss to happen. With my bodymedia armband, I have discovered that means I must be laying down between 8-9 hours. Going to bed a little earlier is making a difference.0
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Thanks Artemis!
The amount of sleep I get is definitely an area for improvement. I probably average 6-7 hours between when I lay down and when my alarm goes off the next morning.0 -
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Thanks Shell!
I'm sticking with it. I figure it'll have to come off at SOME point, right?0 -
Also do these noodles that you eat have flour in them,? My understanding was that the only noodles that are plan approved are ****ake noodles. If you eat any other types of noodles no matter what they are they can kick you out of fat burning so be careful with that too. Drink tons of water, weigh your protein and watch your condiments. We don't have to have 3 condiments a day we are just allowed to do so. Don't have cheese for your fat every day either, try olive oil, salad dressing or even once in a while almonds to mix things up. You will see it will work out. Watch your sodium too such as adding salt to food.0
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The noodles are actually just zucchini cut into noodle-like strips, so no flour....they're part of my green.
I've gone back to 'basics' in not adding cheese and other extras whenever possible.
Thanks!0 -
I have to agree your carbs are too low for someone that is a regular exerciser. I find that I lose slower if my carbs are below 85 as I exercise everyday. Also you need a healthy fat like olive oil. LC cheese is not a fat.
And keep walking! Exercise keeps you healthy mind, body and soul!
We are in the same boat as my weight loss is also slow and I wonder if its worth the now increased price to lose this last 25 pounds but I love the program. Feel free to friend me! :flowerforyou:0 -
.8 lbs this week.
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I've definitely increased my carbs the last couple of days. I'm also going to stop weighing daily. I think that really messes with my head (the up/down fluctuations).
Sorry your loss wasn't up to your expectations, Staci...but be happy that the scale went DOWN!
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I am 55 and 4 ft 11 in. My weight loss on Medifast was slow the first time...but consistent. I also had a mindboggling 7 lb. weight loss the first week, but averaged 1 lb. every week for about 2 months. Then I plateaued for two weeks, and went back to one lb. weight loss til I reached my goal. It took me 6 months to lose 31 lbs. I exercised the entire time, and I did not really worry about measuring herbs, spices and fat free condiments. I also used bouillion in my soups and made my cold drinks with Fresca in the blender.
This time, 3 years later, I have gained half my weight back, and in my first week back on OP I lost 1.6 lbs. Not stellar.
the issue is that my body only needs about 1200 cal. to maintain. I am short, I am middle aged, and I am not a gym rat.
Medifast is not really taylored to different body types...so if you are on the smaller side, you are just not going to lose as quickly as the larger folks. Could that be it?0 -
Thanks for your response Normsnan.
I went into this with the thought in the back of my head that because I dont have a huge amount to lose, I'd probably be losing slower than average. However, there's been NO loss in about 2 weeks.
I have 2.5 weeks left of the MF supplies, but (for financial reasons) I wont be able to reorder. I'm going to continue to follow the basic guidelines of the plan, but find other healthy foods that fit into the calorie/carb/protein counts that I need daily, while making sure I'm still getting my other nutrients. I know I'll lose it eventually and I have not intention of giving up THAT particular goal.
Edited to add:
I did get an awesome jump start on the program. I'm still really motivated and determined to lose the last 25ish pounds.0 -
Have you spoken with the Medifast support team(specifically the nutritionist)?0
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4 lbs last week, 1 lb this week.0
