Medifast is so easy - just shake and drink!

I gained a lot of weight while pregnant with my first daughter. I was placed on bed rest and gained 70 pounds during the pregnancy, which put me up to 330 pounds. Three months post-delivery, I decided to do something about my weight. I had seen an ad about Medifast and I decided to give it a try, boy I’m glad I did.

In 9 months, I lost a total of 170 pounds. My energy went way up and I was never hungry.

Then, about 3 years later, I became pregnant again. Although I was nervous about gaining weight, I knew that Medifast would help me take it off again, and that’s exactly what happened. Within a few months, I lost 35 pounds and am now within 10 pounds of my pre-baby weight.

Medifast really tastes great, too. My favorite flavors are Orange-Pineapple and Strawberry Creme. I like to mix it and leave it in the freezer for about 30 minutes then I eat it with a spoon.

To think that I had even considered Gastric Bypass is scary. I am so glad I never went that route. Medifast is so easy to follow just shake and drink: no measuring, no counting. I would recommend this to anyone who has been battling with his or her weight. Look at my before and after pictures and judge for yourself.

The Jenny Craig diet plan comes in many versions. The most convenient (but not necessarily the most effective) is the at-home version where you call in to talk to your coach. The local Centre plan requires you to come in for weekly face-to-face consultations. While this is less convenient than the at-home version, many clients say it is more effective since it holds the dieter accountable for results.

Here is a brief list of what you can expect from the Jenny Craig diet (local Centre option):

• Weekly scheduled One-on-One consultations at one of over 550 Centres located around the United States and Canada with one of our trained Consultants.
• Private weigh-in conducted at each consultation
• Wide selection of Jenny’s Cuisine and products available at your local Centre
• 24/7 online message boards and live chat provide additional support from your peers

My family provided me every opportunity for success in my life. I was given great schooling, great traveling experiences, and taught how to give back to the community. The one big thing that I had never been taught was how to eat correctly and maintain a healthy weight. When both of my parents were diagnosed with type II diabetes early in 2003, the reality of my parents’ eating choices was thrown in my face. Heredity said that I could have the same problem - I share their genes and their bad eating habits. I needed to change, and so I started with reducing the intake of sugar just by cutting out white potatoes, corn, carrots and white flour from my diet. That took about three months to really feel comfortable with, but I still wasn’t losing weight. Nobody had taught me how to get control of my eating habits.

By early summer 2003, I had reached a wall of frustration. I had changed my eating habits, had started a regular exercise program, but wasn’t losing weight. I weighed in at 249.5 lbs, was 5′7″ and 34-years-old. I couldn’t put off the weight loss anymore. What I didn’t know how to do was remove the weight fast. My “ray of hope” came from seeing my girlfriend who had been recommended to Medifast by her doctor in February of the same year. When I saw her in June 2003, she had dropped 50 lbs. and had gone from a size 22 to a size 12. These results FINALLY GAVE ME HOPE!! Somebody that I knew, in the same situation, had succeeded with something safe. I ordered the products that night and started the day after my start up package came.

July 1, 2003 is the official date that I started Medifast. I consider it the beginning of my new life. The program was one of the most educational things that I’ve ever done, and by far has become one of the most physically and emotionally rewarding choices of my life. I learned that with exercise, good eating habits, and small portion sizes I could lose and maintain a healthy weight.

I stopped doing the Medifast program October 10, 2003 when I went on a cruise, and up to that point had reached a size 12 (when I started the diet I was a size 18/20) with a loss of 33 inches, my weight was 184.5 lbs. When I came home from the cruise I changed to the Medifast 5 and 1 plan, dropped another size and now I am a size 10 and my weight is 177 lbs. My New Year’s resolution is to buckle down and jump the final hurdle and get a final 35 lbs off this year. I’m hoping to be down to 140 lbs. by March 2005 – my 36th birthday.

The two biggest things I have learned from being on Medifast are that I need to be continually learning new things, and I can achieve amazing results with determination and desire. I am in charge of my life now and it’s amazing!

The best thing about Medifast is that I haven’t felt deprived!

My name is Laura and I went to see a movie today. That may not seem like a big deal to the average person, but it was a big deal to me. In the past, whenever I went to a movie, a restaurant, or on an airplane, there was this constant fear that I would not fit in the seat. If I did bring myself to go to a movie, my hips would be sore from being squished in the seat. On an airplane, I could sense the dread when someone realized that he had to sit next to me bubbling over in to his space. Today, I went to a movie and slid comfortably in my seat. It felt great!!!!

I have struggled with my weight my entire life. My major obstacle has always been motivation. No matter how much I’d psych myself up for my latest diet attempt, the weight always came off too slowly and I’d get frustrated and find myself raiding the fridge rather than facing the disappointment of the scale. With Medifast, I started seeing significant results from week one! That was enough to keep me going another week, and another, and another, as I watched the pounds and the inches slip away. Soon I found myself actually looking forward to “weigh day” and that was enough to keep me from straying from the plan.

Since starting Medifast I have lost 111 pounds. I feel great! I went from a size 22 to a size 4. I feel fantastic, both physically and mentally. Besides the normal back, joint and ankle pain that comes from being overweight so long, I was starting to develop other serious health problems as well. The food that I was eating was providing me with no nutrition – it was all junk. I was extremely anemic. Since starting Medifast, my energy has increased and my iron levels have increased dramatically. I am healthier now than I have been in years.

Before I discovered Medifast, I’d tried countless diets, went to nutritionists, I even attended a gastric bypass seminar and was in the process of working with my insurance company and doctors to get the procedure done. Then I found Medifast. The program was different, offered success stories, and a plan I thought just might work for me. It did, and I’m so glad.

The best thing about Medifast is that I haven’t felt deprived! Every few hours I get to have something to nourish my body. Every Sunday, I put 5 packets in plastic bags for each day of the week. Each day I pick a bag and that is what I have for the day. I don’t have to make any choices. I don’t have to count calories, and I don’t have to tally points. It is so simple!

My life has totally changed. Before, I wouldn’t go out of the house unless I had to. When I would get dressed, I wore clothes that would hide as much of me as possible. I would hunch over and try to be invisible. This wasn’t too difficult; people don’t like looking at fat people. Now, I have begun looking in the mirror, although I am still a bit uncomfortable with the new me. I am able to wear more flattering clothing. I put makeup on. There are so many things that I have missed out on because of the shame of my weight. Now, I even suggest going out – which shocks my family! I feel like I have a new chance at life. I feel like the real me is emerging. I have hopes and dreams and actually plan for the future, rather than just obsessing about what I am going to have to eat next.

Soon I will be getting ready to move in to the maintenance phase of the program. This is scary but also very exciting. I have spent the last couple of months investigating healthy food options. With the help of the Medifast web site, I have created a plan to add regular food to my diet but will continue to use Medifast as a meal replacement for at least one meal a day. I also know that I have Medifast to fall back on for the rest of my life. If I find that my weight is increasing, I will always have enough Medifast to jump back on the program and get back in line. I also plan to keep visiting the Medifast web site for the message board, support materials and just plain inspiration.

I am turning 40 this year. I am ready for the new phase of my life to begin!!!! Thank you SO much Medifast!!!!

I am so excited to share my Medifast success story. Medifast has changed my life and every day I wake up no longer dreading to get dressed!

As I think all weight-loss stories begin, I tried every “miracle” diet out there. I took the energy pills, tried the no carb, the more carb, the no food fad diets and nothing worked. It took me going on Medifast to realize that weight-loss doesn’t come in a bottle and doesn’t come without hard work but it can be done! And it can be so easy! One just needs to believe in his or herself.

I am a 32-year-old wife and mother of a beautiful 5-year-old girl, Kaitlyn. I have always had a weight problem, ever since I can remember and struggled daily with my self-image. I would blame my weight on stress, hormones you name it, but never on my poor eating habits. Although I would exercise daily, I would still wonder why I wouldn’t lose the weight. But I was eating fast food, snacking on high carb/fat snacks, soft drinks, candy etc.

Last summer I hit my all-time low. Standing 5′3”, I had ballooned up to a size 14/16 and weighed nearly 185 pounds. I couldn’t stand to get dressed in the morning. I didn’t like how tired and sluggish I felt every day — and I was only 31!! As the summer went on, I found myself taking my daughter to our neighborhood pool at 8 am, while it was empty, just so no one would see me. Like all 4-year-olds, Kaitlyn wanted to play with other kids in the water, but I couldn’t stand myself being seen by others in a bathing suit. My husband would take her later in the afternoon. As a family, we would never go together. Not by their choice, but my own. I knew I wanted more for my family and myself. My weight was controlling our life.

Then, I saw an ad for Medifast in a magazine and thought I could do this.

On October 10th, 2005 I started the Medifast 5 and 1 plan. From day one, something clicked. My cravings, my need for “snacks” and fast/fatty food all went away. Medifast chose my foods for me. I was committed to this diet and to making a change. My mind set was simple; whatever I was craving would still be there when I reach my goal weight. Would that piece of pizza really make me feel better? The concept was simple and for some reason, it clicked in my mind with Medifast.

I enjoyed the shakes and oatmeal, would try new recipes with the chili. I loved the chicken noodle soup and of course the bars were a great treat! I would save my daily lean and green meal for dinner with my family. My husband kept the list of approved veggies and meats and would surprise me by making the meals for me, creating new sauces and adding variety. It was fun for us. And I really needed that support. Although I never felt hungry, it wasn’t easy saying “no” to co-workers for lunch outings but I hung in there.

I also made it through my first Thanksgiving without bread or stuffing. By Christmas, I was down 30 pounds and feeling great! People started noticing–and I liked that. But even with the weight loss, I still felt self-conscious being in this new skin and was always second-guessing my willpower to get down to my goal weight of 140.

But on January 22nd, 2006, I achieved my goal weight and I thought I would pass out! None of my clothes fit anymore. I had some skirts and pants just falling off of me, which 4 months prior, fit snug and others barely buttoned. I would just stand there in the mirror wondering who this person was staring back. My daughter called me skinny. My husband, although always supportive, called me sexy and beautiful. But this time it was different because for the first time, I felt sexy and beautiful.

I decided to transition off of Medifast and started the transition/maintenance plan on February 10th. I was scared of piling back the pounds. But again, I just incorporated the ratio set forth in the Medifast Meals and went with it. And since I wasn’t use to eating breads and fast foods any longer, my biggest vices, I knew I could do it. I also started back exercising every morning with a 45-minute walk. During Medifast, I was only walking 2-3 times a week.

Today, I am down another 5 pounds and am successfully holding my own at 135 and a size 6! For this first time, I am looking forward to bathing-suit season and going to the pool at high noon with my husband and daughter on weekends. I thank Medifast every day for giving me the courage and willpower to succeed with my weight loss. The message boards and website gave me the confidence in myself that it could be done. I still go on the boards from time to time and read other successes and have posted there as well in support to the “newbies”.

Now, I stand in the full-length mirror and no longer wonder who the person is staring back at me. I am Jennifer–a confident wife and mother, no longer being controlled by my weight but instead empowered by my loss and all that I have gained in return!

Thanks Medifast!

From your friends at eDiets…

Here are some tips that can fit any family’s hectic lifestyle.

• Aim for two to four servings of fruit a day. A serving is considered to be a medium apple, peach, pear, banana, orange, or two medium plums or tangerines, 1/3 cantaloupe, 1/8 honeydew melon, 15 small grapes, 8 medium strawberries, ¾ cup blueberries or one cup of fruit cut up in large chunks.
• Buy only what fruits you can use within a few days. Select produce that is not bruised, shriveled or have visible mold.
• Eat one vitamin C-rich [i.e. citrus fruit or cantaloupe] and one vitamin A-rich fruit [i.e. apricot or nectarine] every day.
• Let fruit ripen at room temperature (placing fruit in a paper bag hastens the process). Wash well before eating and discard any bruised or moldy fruit.
• Refrigerate fruit salads until served.
• Choose pasteurized juices and ciders.
• Throw away cut produce that has not been kept refrigerated for four or more hours.
• Grill summer fruits! A skewer of hot, juicy, flavorful grilled vegetables or a fresh fruit kebob will be welcome at any backyard barbecue.

This summer add a variety of summer fruits to your daily routine. When it comes time to slip back into your fall wardrobe, you will be glad that you satisfied your sweet tooth with summer fruits.

With the Suzanne Somers Weight-Loss Plan, you’ll discover how to beat a stalling metabolism and stay lean and trim without ever feeling deprived. Once we show you the eating patterns that work best with your body, you’ll be able to eat all you want until you’re satisfied — and still lose weight.

To read more about this diet (recently introduced by eDiets), go to the official eDiets website.

This fresh and delicious salad comes directly from our Suzanne Somers plan. (Protein, Fats and Veggies meal) Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach
2 hard boiled eggs
5 cherry tomatoes
3 slices bacon - pan-fried
3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Rinse, pat dry and place spinach in a salad bowl. Chop eggs and cut tomatoes in half; set aside. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat; stir occasionally and cook until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place on paper towels to absorb the fat; crumble. Drain off all the bacon fat in skillet, but do not wipe clean; add balsamic vinegar and olive oil; stir skillet to deglaze; cook for about 1 minute. Season with black pepper. Toss spinach with hot dressing and top with tomatoes, cooked bacon, and chopped egg. Serve.

Want to know how Suzanne keeps herself looking healthy and beautiful at her age? Sign up for her plan! Learn more here.

Maureen and Jeff Heck have lost a combined 169 pounds with Medifast!

Maureen’s Story

I was always on the chubby side growing up and have struggled with my weight pretty much all my life, but I didn’t get really heavy until I got married. I spent my 20’s depressed about being overweight. Finally I realized that I wanted to resolve this issue once and for all before my 30th birthday! I tried to do it with diet and exercise but would always lose motivation and by my 29th birthday I was bigger than ever. I realized that although I actually know a lot about nutrition, I needed the structure of a meal replacement program. I also accepted the fact that whether I am ’skinny’ or ‘fat’, I have a weight problem and will always have to manage what I eat. I did my research and chose the Medifast plan. The 5&1 took the stress out of dieting: no planning, shopping for or cooking several meals a day… and no counting! And I still got to eat dinner with my family each night. It was great for a busy mom on the go. The weight came off consistently which kept me motivated to stay on track. While on the 5&1 plan I learned to eat smaller portions 6 times a day, and with the Medifast maintenance plan I am confident I will keep the weight off for good! I lost 75 pounds with Medifast! I once wore a size 20, and now fit into a size 8!!

Jeff’s Story

I was always athletic as a kid, but because of high-fat, home-cooked meals and junk food I was also always overweight. When my wife decided to try the Medifast plan, I wanted to support her and I signed on too. Medifast was great during a busy workday as well as business travel. Not only did I lose 94 pounds on the Medifast plan, going from a 44 waist to a 32, but I learned how to eat to sustain my weight loss. I used to only eat twice a day, lunch and dinner, but now I eat 6 small, balanced meals each day. I have gained amazing self-confidence since losing with the Medifast plan. I am much more outgoing and I’m even coaching my son’s Little League team, which, before, would have been too much in the spotlight for me! My wife and I are so excited about our new lifestyle; we are making date-night a bigger priority now!

Both Closing Comments

We both exercise regularly now, or I should say we enjoy it now. Before we would drag ourselves to the gym and hate it but now it’s like a second home. We have 2 kids, turning 3 and 8 in the next couple months. As a couple, we are definitely more excited about having a regular date-night and planning vacations and dressing nicer and going shopping etc.

The fast-food chain has jumped on the low-carb bandwagon, adding a “Low Carb Six Dollar Burger” ($3.99) to its menu. The selection has only 6 grams of carbohydrates (four net carbs) and features a half- pound beef patty “wrapped” in lettuce leaves, topped with ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, red onion, tomato slices, dill pickles and melted cheese everything but the bun.

We sampled one locally, and it came without cheese and pickles, so if those are important to you, be sure to mention them.

The bunless version reduces the burger’s carb count by 55 grams. You can add guacamole, bacon or chili.

Don’t eat this thing with your hands, and don’t even think about the steering-wheel-inone-hand, burger-in-the-other maneuver. Be sure to ask for a knife and fork. And extra napkins.