Learn to Eat

Day 2 - Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I made it through my first day of Medifast! It was not that hard, but it did take some concentration and attention to my food choices (which is actually the point of the overall program!). I am re-training myself to eat for fuel, not emotional support.

There were several interesting things I discoverd about myself and this process:

1. There were several times yesterday that I would have eaten something just because I was bored or slightly depressed. It would have been mindless eating, without any reason except emotional. When I stopped the urge to eat and walked away from the cabinet or refrigerator, I discovered that I felt freer (and certainly lighter - I had just refused to put extra calories in my body!). I will continue to notice these urges and identify the emotional triggers, to gain more insight into why I may have been eating for something other than nourishment.

2. This program is designed to have 6 meals, spread throughout the day in 2-3 hour increments. I am not used to eating that often, which quickly became apparent yesterday afternoon. I was out running errands and it was time for my 4th meal. But I did not have any Crunch Bars with me, so I had to wait until I got back home.

Not a good strategy, because then I was hungry. Medifast will not "satisfy your hunger" like the Snickers Bar advertisement. Instead, this program is designed to feed your body in small amounts throughout the day, so you never get hungry. Waiting until you are hungry to eat another Medifast meal is a big mistake and can lead to disappointing results.

What should I have done? Simple. Carry a Crunch Bar in my purse and when it was time to have my meal, I would have it with me. Lesson learned!

3. Drinking 64 ounces of water (8 glasses) was not as hard as I thought. Dansani makes water bottles in 20 oz. sizes. I drank one bottle in the morning, one in the afternoon and another after dinner. It's easy when you divide your day into increments...

Another thing I realized is that this program makes it easy to say "No." It clearly sets out what I can eat, the food is convenient and portable and it satisfied me. Instead of having a battle with myself over whether to stop by Chick-fil-a and pick up a sandwich and sweet tea, I just drive by, wave and smile. Those food choices will always be there, but I am not eating that right now.

People sometimes have the wrong impression about Medifast. "Isn't that the liquid diet?" they ask. That could not be farther from the truth. There are over 70 products available to support you on your weight loss journey! And as I discovered yesterday, you can even use the products to make something completely different.

I always like to have a dessert or something sweet after dinner. The brownie was an option, but I found some great recipes on the website and I decided to try the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies. You mix one packet of the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, water and Stevia. Plop dollops of cookie dough on the baking sheet, and after ten minutes in the oven, you have fresh, hot cookies that count as your 6th meal! There are lots of recipes just like this one, that add variety and give you a treat, while you still maintain the fat burning state and lose weight.

At the start of Day 2, I feel excited and proud of myself. I can handle this process and I can actually see myself weighing 15 pounds less. My clothes will fit better, I have more energy and I believe I can conquer the world (at least my world!)