Medifast: The First Four Weeks! (Plus Reader Discount!)

After four weeks, I am almost 15 pounds down. I'd hoped it would be more, but I am happy with such a big change.  The best part, though, is that I am psyched to keep going. And let me tell you something: Those are big words, coming from me.

To recap: 


I began Medifast on Tuesday, March 2. 

I agreed to try the plan for exactly one month.  I was highly, HIGHLY skeptical because it is my belief that you have to make small changes in order to make them sustainable, lifelong changes. And Medifast? Is not a small change.


But at the same time I realized that small changes would be helpful to my diet and health and weight-loss goals, I also realized that the kind of weight loss I need to achieve is not, in any way, small.


So I said I'd try, in earnest.


And I did. I did go "Off Plan" on a few select dates, which were scheduled before I agreed to the program and which I've described on my blog.


But I've seen great results, I saw them immediately, and most importantly: I am hooked. Here's why:

1. It is easy. I mean, Ohmygod it is NOT easy(!!!), but it is easy. It is easy to let the program do the work. It is easy to say: Forget it. I give up trying it my own way. My own way is not working. Someone else: please take over! Figure this crap out for me.
   
   Because they have. There is basically no wiggle room. Weight Watchers is great in some ways for some people, but not for me. Too many options, too much room for error, too much prepping and planning and figuring if you're trying to be hardcore about weight-loss. Uh, said another way: it's too easy to cheat!
   
   You can't cheat on Medifast. You eat five of the meals they give you and that's that. Sure, there's wiggle room with the "lean & green" meal of the day, but if you follow the recipes, there is still no mystery, no counting, no planning, no adjusting. You just do it.
   
   
2. I like routine. If you want and need a lot of variety in your life when it comes to your schedule and your eating habits, I feel you.
   
   I feel you, but I am not you. I love having things like this "automated."  I love the cut-and-dry nature of being on a program that supplies 5/6 of my meals every day. Given that I'm now juggling a baby and a working-from-home schedule and three websites and days that turn on a dime, I LOVE that I don't have to spend time and energy trying to figure out when to eat, what to eat, and how to eat. In fact, THAT part of my day is the only part that isn't totally wacky.
   
   
3. If I do it, it will work. This is kind of a dumb thing to say, but it's kind of not. Since there's no wiggle room and it's impossible to cheat...
   
   [Okay: it's never impossible to cheat, but it's impossible to cheat and convince yourself you're still on-plan. You KNOW when you're cheating. And THAT is the problem I had with WW -- I could fudge the amounts and make "guesses" at points, and feel like I was still "basically" following the plan when I clearly wasn't.]
   
   ...it's a very simple proposition. If you follow the program, you will lose as much weight as you want.
   
   Do you know what this means? The reality of that statement is starting to set in. It means that if I do this program -- this thing I don't really have to think about -- I could, if I wanted to, go so far as to get skinny.  That has NEVER been a goal of mine (at least, not in the last 5+ years), because it just seemed stupid and pointless and unattainable. But now I realize that it doesn't have to be.
   
   There is really a path, and I'm already on it; I just have to choose to stay on it and I can get to any size I want to be. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

So, hey. My goal here is not to try to convince you to do Medifast. I am simply  telling you what I think.  Yes, Medifast is supporting me in my endeavors -- they are providing me with my meals in exchange for my blogging about my experience -- but I in no way obligated to be anything other than 100% honest.


It just so happens that my experience has been overwhelmingly good.  


And if you WANT to give Medifast a try, I'd love to hear about it. I can also offer you a discount: Use code SHEWALKS to get $50 off an order of $275. (It can only be used once and will expire on May 31.)  

I know that $275 can seem awfully expensive, but I think it's totally reasonable given that this is almost an entire month's worth of groceries!


If you do decide to try it, I can give you my personal favorites food-wise, too.  




Finally, I want to give you a run-down of what my weight loss progression has looked like, because it's exciting and spikey and funny and crazy and weird and frustrating and inspiring, all at the same time:


Tuesday: Starting Weight (0 lbs lost total)


Saturday:  - 5.6 


Tuesday: - 6.2 


Saturday: - 10.4


Tuesday: - 7.2


Saturday: - 11.2


Tuesday: - 12.8


Saturday: -14.2


Tuesday: - 14.6





UPDATE: 
I know this might sound strange, but the Medifast (MF) page on Facebook is a great place to go to see how people on the program are doing, what recipes they're posting, and how they answer each other's questions. If you're already ON Facebook, it's a really easy and convenient place to check out.


This discussion is all about what foods people like and don't like, in response to Ms. Narf's comment (b/c this blog post was linked there)!