I started Medifast right before the holidays (Around Nov 1, 2012). I was hoping to avoid putting on weight from the holidays and maybe just lose some too. I went to a number of family functions and parties.

Hopefully you have already seen some weight loss success and that will help keep you motivated for the challenge. I tried to never get off plan - even "just this once" type thinking - it becomes a slippery slope from there an slows down your weight loss.

At parties and family functions I had a realization that no one else really cared what I ate - I always thanked the host before a meal and let them know what I was doing.I always said not to worry about me - there is always something for me to eat. They were curious about the plan, but did not take offense.

I planned ahead and brought my medifast meals that I would need to eat during the visit/event. If I knew I was going to eat a family meal, I asked for just a green salad (or brought it) and a serving of my dressing (Bolthouse yogurt Ranch is a favorite of mine - Safeway). I also used pretzels and the soy snacks at parties - easy to eat discreetly and I found they filled me up enough. I would drink ice tea or water with a lemon wedge (the wedge is not OP though). During large family meals, I would use the 9 inch plate rule and be very conscious of portions. I completely avoided all breads. Even if it is fried chicken - take a tiny portion of breast meat w/ no skin . . . fortunately, I did not actually come across that one over the holidays. If people try to fill your plate, just politely, say "no thank you - I'm full".

Closer to Christmas, people were noticing my weight loss and they approached me on what menu options they could include to help make my meal easier.

I think the key is to plan ahead. Have snacks and simple medifast food you like ready to go (pretzels/soy crisps in my coat pocket were a staple at events for me).

Don't worry about it too much. It is just food. - you are really there for the people and the conversation.

I hope this is a little helpful. Good luck.

Stan

If you aren't averse to a little less-than-truthfulness, you could take a small amount of whatever they're serving that seems like it may fit into your L&G, and then if they try to push more onto you, you could either say that you snacked too much before you came, and now you're positively stuffed, or you could say that your stomach's acting up, and you'd better not eat anything more for a while.

It all depends on your style, and your relatives, ha ha!

I know that I'm not letting most of the people in my life know about this - for a couple of reasons. Partially because I'm tired of letting people know that I'm on a diet/losing weight.....and then when I stop losing weight, or go off the diet, it's like shouting that I FAILED. If they don't know, then I can't 'fail'. Secondly, while many people are supportive of a person trying to lose weight, others are very snotty about certain 'plans' (heck, just read the main boards here about MF). I would just rather not even get into it with these people.

So, for instance, when we had some rather nosy friends over for dinner the other day, I stuffed all my MF gear into a closet, and made myself a salad and had some MSF burgers without the bun, while I offered them buns, and my friend had the same kind of salad that I did, etc. Since it's how we usually eat with them, they didn't notice a thing.

I have another super-nosy (and weight-competitive) friend showing up on Friday....I was hoping to have lost most of this weight before I saw her again, but oh well. I'll put all the MF stuff away again, and I'll try to plan it so that we aren't actually eating together, or I'll cram a bar out of sight, and then claim to not be hungry in her presence.

Sometimes, you just gotta do what ya gotta do!

(For the record, I'll have no problem letting people know that I did MF.....once I've reached goal, and have PROOF that it worked. It's the claim without the proof that starts an argument, in my experience.)


Good luck with your holiday!

I come to this topic with a slightly different perspective. I too started in January, after the heavy-duty holidays were over, and have done quite well staying on plan. Then, on March 16, my father, who had Alzheimer's but was physically still quite healthy, passed away suddenly. I literally packed in half an hour and was on the road for the 12 hour drive to my mother's house to help her.

I had packed my MF food, and thought that once I got to mom's house, I would run to the store and pick up items for my L&G meals. Well, reality was that we never found enough of a lull to run to the store, but the folks from mom's church were bringing in dinner meals - all heavy on the carbs and fat, with not one shred of green ANYTHING. I had to make a choice, and the choice I made was to faithfully eat my 5 MF meals and then graciously eat small portions of the food I was served for dinner and not be a diva about my dietary needs for a few days. It wound up being a week or so of being on plan for the first half of the day and off plan for dinner. I didn't lose, but I maintained. I confess that I also did a little stress-eating when a certain family member created drama - every family has someone like that I suppose.

The funeral was on Saturday, and I had company on Sunday. I am now on day 3 of "re-entry", and doing okay with it. I've struggled with thoughts of continuing eating off-plan, but have overcome the temptation. In hindsight, and after discussing the whole thing with my health coach, I don't feel terrible about the choice to relax things a bit to get through what was a difficult week for everyone. In doing that, I was able to focus more on my mother's needs. Am I paying a price? Yes. Food is fuel, and I'm feeling like I'm running on a tankful of bad gas. My energy level has dropped, I have a headache, I'm craving bread, and these things don't go well with the feelings of loss I'm also suffering. (I really just started "processing" it all on Sunday.)

I guess the point of this long ramble was that every choice we make has consequences, and if we make the choice to remain disciplined, we will retain all the benefits of staying on plan. If we make the choice to deviate from the plan, we have volunteered to face the consequences of that decision. In the long-term view, it was just one week - and I don't feel bad or guilty or ashamed that I didn't stay on plan for that week. We all have to learn to cope with things life throws at us, and knowing that I came through it without gaining is a victory for me.

Artemis, I think I would have done exactly the same. A family funeral is not the time to be persnickety about your dietary choices, for sure. Hey, just staying OP for your five MF meals is a *great* thing, in my opinion.

And you're exactly right. Everything is a choice, and certain choices come with consequences - and if you're aware of that going in, I think that it's a much better outcome than if you thought 'just once' wouldn't matter, or that you could 'get away' with it. Life happens, and you accept it, pick yourself up, and go forward mindfully.

So sorry for your loss.

Well, I had my first 'off-plan' day...not 100% sure how it actually went, but it feels like it might have been okay.

My friend came, and our families all went out to lunch at a local buffet restaurant. It's a small family-owned place with really good, home-cooked type stuff, but often prepared quite simply. (I'd actually been missing it, and I like to support local businesses.)

I had things like a large salad with a splash of oil and vinegar, two large slices of turkey breast, some tofu (with a little bit of sweet corn), cauliflower with a light cheese sauce, and a couple very small pieces of mushroom quiche. I did have a couple of *tiny* tastes of some fantastic homemade desserts, pushed on me by my friend (to be fair, I never told her that I'm dieting). Oh...and I did have some fried plantains. Oops. If anything put me over, it might have been that, but I love plantains, and it was hard to pass them by.

I ate three MF meals in the morning, but since I had no idea how many calories, or more importantly, carbs that I ate, I decided to skip the last two MF meals. (And I'm still not hungry, so I'm sure I'm fine.) I had somewhere in the vicinity of 50 carbs 'available' to stay in range...maybe a little more just to stay under 100. And by calculating the probable carbs in what I did eat...I'm thinking that perhaps, just perhaps---I might have been close. The plantains might have put me over, but...no matter, I'm back on-plan tomorrow. And I think I'll be just fine. (Hoping I haven't messed with ketosis, but...I'll get back there, so it's no big deal.)