As many of you know I am in the process of a life redo.
And, for those of you who know me (via this blog or via the football field), you know that I am the master of disaster when it comes to those.
I makeover my life often (I love makeovers and also, I need to). Restart, reimagine, redo, resolve.
That’s me.
I’m basically a walking, talking, booty shakin’, cookie bakin’, always smiling work in progress.
I figure I won’t be done with building my awesome until I’m dead.
Until then, make, remake, and make again.
That is why I decided to make Medifast a part of my life.
Again.
I get tons of questions about my weight loss and the program I use so I thought I’d take a few moments to answer some of those.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a real talk anyway. It’s about that time…
Real Talk on Weight Loss: Every Single Thing You Need to Know About Medifast
Dude, are you sure you need to lose 20lbs?!
I get this question often and, while I appreciate the fact that you guys don’t seem to see what I see, I see me naked and know how much I weigh. But, rest assured that I didn’t pick that number based solely on the eyeballing of my back fat or undertake this journey without medical consultation. I consulted with both my own doctor (who wants me to be at a healthy weight to keep the kidneys pumping) and the specialists at the Medifast Center and, based on my muscle composition (I’ve got guns y’all) and my body frame (line backer-ish), my healthy weight target is around 150. I’m not there yet and if I reach that I will do the running man in my kitchen. On video. And post it to YouTube. Because, yessssss!
Fine, fine. So, Medifast? Is that one of those celebrity fad diet things?
Nope. Not at all. Maybe celebrities use it, but it’s certainly not a fad. Medifast has been helping people lose weight and keep it off since the 80s. That’s a long time in the changing lives game. They’ve outlived the pegging your pants fad, the stonewashed jeans fad, and the Cross Colours fad. I think they are here to stay (along with stonewashed jeans because apparently they refuse to die).
Hmmm, okay. Well, I’ve heard you eat special foods. What is so special about them?
Medifast has a number of different programs depending on your dietary needs and weight loss goals. I’m on the 5 and 1 plan which means I eat 5 Medifast meals a day and one lean and green meal a day. Medifast meals are those you get from the Medifast weight loss center you are a member of. They have a whole host of items available, everything from mac and cheese to coffee. Personally, I am a fan of their protein bars so I stock up on those and eat them throughout the day. Then, when it’s time for me to eat what many like to refer to as “real food” I choose a healthy, lean meat and a serving of green veggies. You can learn all about the plans here: Medifast weight loss plans.
So, you basically you eat 5 protein bars a day?! Dude, aren’t you starving?
Not really. Sort of. Ok, I will admit, I experienced extreme hunger in the beginning but that’s because my stomach was all stretched from the copious amounts of goodies I had been filling it with. I’m not one of those people who goes around saying I don’t eat a lot. Before I started my life rebranding, I ate plenty. P-L-E-N-T-Y. Well above my caloric needs for the day. So yes, when I started, I still wanted to eat a candy bar with lunch and six cookies before bed. But, once I got going on the program I realized that I wasn’t all that hungry and even getting in my 5 bars a day was kinda hard.
It seems so restrictive. Can’t you just eat real food?
Sure, of course you can. This program is a good way for people who struggle to remain disciplined and those who have a difficult time managing their food intake. I’ve done Weight Watchers as well and, while I liked it just fine, I wanted something that would give me a little more ease and freedom and not quite so much work (I spent a lot of time just planning and making my meals then).
Be honest, does it work?
Yes. If you do, then it does. I lost 6lbs my first week.
And what about healthiness? 6 pounds in a week seems intense? And fad diet-y.
I know it does. I was surprised too! This program was designed by doctors. It’s based on research. Thousands of doctors recommend it to their patients (including mine, his exact words were: Yeah, you should do that. It’s safe and it works.). And, they do a very comprehensive body fitness panel on you when you begin the program. They also have counselors that you meet with every week to help you with the mental game of weight loss (you know, the accountability and support part that is always so hard.). Plus, the rapid weight loss is really only in the beginning (their disclaimer states: Typical weight loss on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan® is 2-5 lbs per week for the first two weeks and 1-2 lbs per week thereafter.). I think it’s sort of a shock to your cookie saturated system and then, when your body adjusts to being forced into some act right, it levels out and just accepts that you’re the boss of it and eating healthy is what’s up.
Sounds great, but how expensive are we talking?
Every Medifast center isn’t exactly the same but mine has promos all the time so that you can get on the program for $9/week plus the cost of food (I estimate food is about $85/week for me). That’s not cheap. But, when it comes right down to it, you’re putting a price on your personal health and wellness. You are paying to help improve your quality of life, and maybe even extend it. And, if you add up the lunch trips to the Chinese restaurant with your coworkers and the happy hours and the take out you get every Friday, you are probably spending way more on unhealthy food options than you think anyway. I know it won’t fit into every budget, but it may if you really analyze where your money is going each month (ie McDonald’s, cable TV, shoes, not that I would ever suggest someone not buy cute shoes!)
What happens when I reach my goal weight? I spend the rest of forever grubbing on protein bars?
No. No one can live like that. Medifast has a maintenance plan to help keep you on track as you transition from the active weight loss life phase to the living la vida loca healthy life phase. You will eat cookies again, just not ALL of the cookies.
If you’re interested in following my weight loss journey more closely, feel free to check out my Medifast blog posts!