June 2011

June 3, 2011 ~ Working out...
Here it is the beginning of June and I wanted to update my blog!  I am down 143 pounds and still working toward my goal of losing 181 pounds with Medifast!  Only 38 more pounds to go!  SO EXCITING!  The weight loss for me has slowed down but I decided to join a gym (Genesis Health Club) and work with a trainer.  I thought at first that I would see a huge loss after working out for 1 week, but my weight stayed the same and I was a bit discouraged.  My trainer Michelle told me to just hang in there as my body is going to have to do a little adjusting to everything I am doing and then I should see a loss.  Sure enough, the pounds are starting to come off of me a little bit better now that I have been working out about 6 weeks.  So if you start a new exercise program, don't get discouraged if the weight doesn't just fall off of you at first.  Hang in there...it will come!  Currently I am working out 5-6 days a week.  I have started doing an aerobic fit class on Monday and Friday mornings that combine cardio with strength training and stretching and then I do a Zumba class on Wednesday mornings.  On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I work out with weights with my trainer and then on Saturday mornings I do weights on my own.  I never (and I mean NEVER) thought I would ever set foot in a gym, let alone enjoy working out, but I do.  It is such a fun time for me! 

I have to say once again...don't ever give up.  I have been overweight my entire adult life and believe me...even at 183 pounds I feel so much better than I have ever felt.  I can't imagine weighing 326 pounds again.  I was always in pain, always hurting.  That was terrible.  Then I found Medifast and still can't believe how fantastic this program is!  To me, it is worth whatever money I have to spend on it to get healthy!  I just wish I would have found it 30 years ago! When people ask me what the secret is to staying on Medifast as long as I have (23 months) I tell them that for me sticking with the 5 and 1 is the key.  I know there are people out there that can plan to eat off plan for a day and then get right back on, but I don't want to chance it.  I am afraid that I would just fall face first into something I shouldn't and never come back up.  Food has that big of a hold on me.  Do I worry that I won't be able to transition off of Medifast food when I get to goal?  Sometimes.  But you know what?  I am just going to approach it with the same faith that has got me this far and I know I will be okay.  This program works! Here's to the next 38 pounds!

June 12, 2011 ~ Sunday morning thoughts...

Good morning world, it is raining here in my part of Kansas and my tomato plants are smiling!  I planted 5 tomato plants this year, as Ken and I love fresh tomatoes, and truth be told, I enjoy watching them grow!  Not to the extent that I am going to plant a big garden...I'll leave that to my two older sisters, Peggy and Sherry, but just something for me to enjoy!  The rain always gives me time for a little reflection, and as I think back over the past 23 months that I have been on my weight loss journey, there is a lot to reflect on.  Ken and I went to a car show yesterday and even though it was a hot day, I was amazed at how much easier it was to walk around looking at the cars since I have lost weight!  At 326 pounds I would have been doing 3 things: sweating, hurting, and thinking of a way to hurry Ken along so we could go home!  Yesterday I held my husbands hand and actually enjoyed all the beautiful cars that were there for us to see!  AND...as an added bonus, we were on the motorcycle, which is another thing that I wouldn't have been doing if I was that 326 pound woman.  No way could I have ever gotten on the back of a motorcycle. Physically, I just wouldn't have been able to.   So a lot of progress has been made in my life, and I am so excited by it!  Before we went to the car show, Ken and I went to Genesis and worked out together!  That was a first!  LOVED that we were lifting weights and helping each other!  Ken has been working out with my trainer Michelle, but she wanted him to start doing 3 days a week and so we will be working out on Saturdays together! Never thought I would see the day!  Ken has had a shoulder injury, so that is why he has only been working out 2 times a week, but now he is starting to build on that!!  YAY! We have decided that we want to build our strength so as we age, we will be more physically fit!

I didn't have a loss this past week when I stepped on the scales. My body has a way of losing every other week, which tells me that these fat cells are fighting to stay with me, but slowly I will win the battle.  I really thought that I would be at goal weight on our 20th anniversary on June 21st, but have decided that as long as I am continueing on my journey, it doesn't really matter when I reach goal, as long as I am working toward it. I am so thankful that I found a program that works for me! 

Speaking of our anniversary, we are trying to decide what we should do to celebrate.  If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments section!  If we were rich....this would be easy!  But on a limited budget, something local will probably have to do!  As long as we get to spend the day together, we will be okay.  I really lucked out when I found Ken.  He is a great guy and I am so lucky that we have each other!!  Here's to a great week!  Get out and enjoy it! 

 

June 15, 2011 ~ Another week down...

This week actually saw me with a 1 pound gain!  Back when I would weigh almost every day, I would see my weight fluctuate from day to day...sometimes up a little, sometimes down a little.  I guess it is only natural that at some point my weight would be up a little on Wednesday when I weigh in!  So I am not going to let it bother me!  I know it is just a number...and not a reflection of me.  One thing that I am trying not to do is to let the scale play ''head games'' with me.  My first thought was to weigh tomorrow and see what the scale says...but then I might end up getting on the scale the day after tomorrow to see what it says...and then I would be back to jumping on the scale every time I walked past it.  I just don't want to get back in the habit of weighing every day.  I have friends that do that, and they seem to be able to handle the daily ups and downs of the scale...but not me.  So I am just going to write the number down and move on! 

I decided to try on my wedding dress to see if it was close to fitting me.  With our 20th anniversary coming up, I was hoping that I could squeeze into it now that I have been losing weight.  I remember it feeling a little ''snug'' when I got married and didn't have much hope of it fitting, but it slid on without any problem!  AND...when I showed it to Ken, he said "That's too big on you!''  How fun is that?  What a great guy I have!!

January 2011-April 2011

Busy once again with school and didn't take the time to blog!  My weight has slowed down quite a bit, with me only losing 10 pounds during this time!  I am now losing weight that has been on my body for a long time, and it is not going without a fight!  My walking during the winter months had stopped due to the weather with me only getting out every now and then when the weather was nice.  I started doing walking videos inside the house instead, which was nice, but not really burning the calories like I should be.  And I just didn't seem to be able to push myself to do more. 

It dawned on me that I am no longer that 326 pound woman that couldn't exercise.  I needed to start doing things ''outside the box'' so to speak and for me, that meant joining a gym!  So I went down the next day and talked to the wonderful people at Genesis Health Club!  AND...I joined!  I even signed up for a trainer, whose name is Michelle.  Hopefully working out will help push me and this stubborn fat!!  I can do this! 

I also talked to my counselor at school and decided to change my major.  I originally wanted to be a Social Worker, but my counselor thought that a degree in Sociology would give me more opportunity to find a job, as there has been a hiring freeze in the State on Social Workers, which (due to the retirement benefits) I wanted to work for.  Since I didn't want to have a degree in an area where I couldn't find a  job,  I decided that I would finish a degree in Sociology. Luckily, I was able to use the classes I have already taken and apply them toward this degree. 

So lots of changes going on ... what an exciting time for me!!

December 2010

December 30, 2010 ~ Another year winding down...
WOW!  It's been awhile since I've posted on my blog and wanted to give an update on me! As 2010 winds down, I am happy to say that I am down a total of 133 pounds and this former 326 pound girl now weighs 193 pounds!!  That's right, I found myself in ONEderland!!  What a wonderful way to end the year!!  It has been over 20 years since I have weighed under 200 for any length of time, so this is a BIG thing!  So big, that I didn't post it on my blog until now.  I wanted to make sure that the scale wasn't just teasing me!  You know how sometimes you don't want to say anything about something, because you think it might go away?  That was how I felt about announcing that I was under 200 pounds.  I now have 48 more pounds to go!! AND...I know that with Medifast I can get there!

If you are reading this needing some inspiration, trust me on this one thing.  If you work this program and stay true to it, you will lose weight!!  It's that simple.  As a health coach I have had the pleasure of watching others follow my lead and finally lose weight that they have tried to lose for years!!  For me, it is a way of paying it forward and I love sharing in their success and having them share in mine!!  I have gone from wearing a 4X top (28W) to a 16!!  AND...my 16 jeans are getting pretty loose, so I will need to replace them soon!!  It is so exciting to be losing this weight!!

October - November 2010

Well as you can see there isn't much to read here!  LOL!!  School kept me busy this semester and I didn't take the time to blog!  I'm still working my Medifast program, and still loving the food.  I am asked a lot how I can stay on this program for so long?  The truth is, it isn't hard.  Seeing the weight come off has been such an inspiring thing for me!  This program works!  It's that simple. 

Halloween and Thanksgiving came and went.  I decided to control the holidays and all the candy and food that went with them, instead of allowing them to control me.  For me it works!  I look forward to going into December and taking on my birthday on the 21st, followed by Christmas!  I can do this!

September 2010

September 22, 2010 ~ 115 pounds gone...
This past week I made a decision to start walking on a daily basis.  I was tired of only losing a pound here and there and decided that unless I wanted to take 6 years to finish up my weight loss that I needed to get out and MOVE!  Can you believe it? After walking a total of 9 miles this past week, my weight stayed the same! UGH! I was really thinking that I would be down 3 or 4 pounds this week! I know it is just my body reacting to the exercise, but still.....SIGH......

Okay, I'm over being upset. I know that I just have to keep doing what I am doing and it will pay off! Afterall, except for a handfull of times this past year I haven't exercised at all and managed to lose 115 pounds! So of course my body is going to go into shock and wonder what I am doing and try to hang on to every morsel I eat! AND...I always tell my clients that muscle weighs more than fat...so just maybe I need to take a little of my own advice!

The old Cindy would have ate something to console herself and then decided to not walk for a few days to give her body a rest and see if that would help. The new Cindy put her shoes on, was accountable to all her friends that she didn't drop any weight like she thought she would and went for a walk!!       (WHO IS THIS GIRL?)

I plan on getting to goal and I am not going to stop until I get there. I am 52 years old and feel stronger than I have ever felt in my life!! I can do this!

August 2010

Sorry, there aren't any posts for August!  Not sure what happened...just didn't get in here to post!!  But hopefully September will find me blogging more!  I'm still on track and still losing weight, although it seems to have slowed down some.  I'm still determined though!!  Here's to pushing ahead to goal!

July 2010

July 31, 2010 ~ Busy summer...
Sorry it has been a few weeks since I have updated my blog!  My summer session just ended and the last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic with papers to write and tests to take!  I am now officially done and so happy to have a few weeks before the fall semester begins.  For anyone that doesn't know, I was laid off from work after 22 years at the same place....a year ago this past March.  I decided to not only lose weight, but go back to school and finish up a degree in Social Work!  I'm re-inventing myself!  LOL!! 
I have been on my journey since July 16th of last year and am happy to announce that I am down 108 pounds in the 54 weeks since I started!  What a journey this has been!  I love eating this way AND I love feeling this way!!  I have been an inspiration to friends and family members and actually am responsible for six friends AND five family members that have now joined me eating healthy with Medifast food!  It is so much fun watching them have the same success that I have had!
 
So many things are different this summer when I look back to how things were last summer.  I'm not at goal weight, I still have around 70 pounds to go, but I am able to do more, stay out in the sun more, and basically LIVE more! What a blessing that is!  This morning I helped my husband mow the lawn at my brothers house.  A year ago, I wouldn't have even attempted helping with the mowing. Now I feel like I am more of a partner in our marriage and can help with more things!  I like looking in the mirror and seeing the person that is looking back at me.

If you are just starting your journey and are scared or wonder if you are thowing your money away, or if you can even survive on these little white packets, believe me when I say you can!  I still remember looking at my first shipment and wondering what I got myself in to!  LOL!!  But I just decided to jump in and do this, and I've never regretted it.  I know, for the first time in my life, that I will get to goal weight!  This coming from someone who spent the majority of her adult life at around or above 300 pounds!  So if I can do this....you can do this.  Believe it and believe in yourself.  YOU ARE WORTH THIS!! 
I'll try to get in here a little more often now that school is finished for the summer!!

June 2010

June 2, 2010 ~ Still losing...
and I am happy to report another 1.5 pounds gone!  YES!  That makes a total of 95 pounds GONE!!  I am so glad that I found Medifast!  I am getting closer and closer to having 100 pounds off.  I wish that was all I needed to lose, but I still have at least 75-85 more pounds to lose!  I know that with Medifast, I will get there!  I am hoping to get it all off by the end of the year...but even if it takes me longer, that's okay with me!
 
This week I actually had something happen that was pretty neat.  Due to pain in my hips and lower back, I hadn't slept in bed all night for the past 3 years! I had thrown my back out years ago, and with the extra weight I was carrying, I would wake up in such pain from laying in bed that I started waking up in the middle of the night and moving to the recliner for the remainder of the night.  Finally I got to the point of just sleeping in the recliner.  It was easier than sleeping in bed and waking up in pain and then going to the recliner.  This past week I actually went to bed and was able to stay there all night and wake up pain free!  I know this is due to the fact that I have lost 95 pounds and don't have the pressure on my hips and back from my weight pulling it down!  Just another benefit of losing weight with Medifast, and I LOVE it (as does my husband)!! :) 

Okay...here's to another great week.  Stay OP and never give up!  YOU are worth the effort it takes to work this program and it pays dividends that you can't even imagine!!

June 9, 2010 ~ It just keeps getting better...
Hi guys!  Another Wednesday is upon us, and I weighed in this morning!  I am happy to report that I am down another 1.5 pounds making a total of 96.5 pounds GONE!  YEAH!  How fun is that??  Even after 47 weeks, I am still amazed at the fact that I am still losing weight!  AND...I am still as excited about Medifast today as I was on week 1!  Someone asked me how I keep my enthusiasm going and stay focused week after week, but really it isn't hard.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE TO EAT and have been known in the past to have an occasional margarita when I am having Mexican food, but since I have found Medifast, my attitude has changed.  I no longer have the desire to eat and drink the way I used to.  I know that I am doing something that is paying dividends BIG TIME and that I am worth it!! Also, the longer you eat this way, the easier it gets.  I have talked to people that didn't think they could ever just eat a pudding, or a shake and call it a meal, and I can understand that, because I was the same way.  But believe me when I say that you will be able to do that, and you will find it satisfying.  It's like we are always eating, which is nice!  You are always 2 1/2 - 3 hours away from your next meal! 

Medifast has changed my life.  I feel more normal than I have ever felt before.  I met Lisa (on the left) an online friend this past week when she was visiting here in my hometown and it was such a neat feeling to meet someone for the first time and not worry about if I would look too fat in pictures!  I don't shy away from cameras like I used to!  I look at pictures now as a way to document my journey!!

June 16, 2010 ~ So very close...What a great week I have had!  Not only did my husband Ken join me on my Medifast journey, but I lost 2.5 pounds this week making a total of 99 pounds GONE!!  How cool is that??  SOOOOO close to being down 100 pounds!!  I know I will make it!

I mentioned my husband Ken joined me on my Medifast journey!  Never in a million years did I think he would do this, because he is addicted to Dr. Pepper!  Yep, I married a ''pepper'' and try as I might the past few years to get him to switch to Diet Dr. Pepper, or even cut back on his beloved drink...I wasn't able to.  So naturally I didn't think he would ever be able to do Medifast, because his sugar meant too much to him.  I was so surprised when he came to me and asked me to be his health coach and order him some food!!  He actually said he would give up Dr. Pepper and switch to Diet Dr. Pepper!  Surprisingly, he said the Diet Dr. Pepper wasn't too bad...but I have noticed him drinking more water than anything else, which is a good thing!! I was a little worried that he wouldn't like some of the food, as we all know that some of it isn't the best the very first time we try it, but he seems to like all the bars, puddings, brownies and the cinnamon pretzels!  So I have a good feeling that he is going to be successful on Medifast!  He wants to lose around 40 pounds.  He's not a computer guy, so you won't see him on here, but I will keep you posted on his journey!! 

Looking back on the past 11 months, I don't think I ever thought that I would be so successful with Medifast.  I still have a ways to go, but feel so confident that I will get there.  I love the food, and now that Ken is on program as well, I have all kinds of it in the house!!  How exciting!  LOL!!  I even made a MF Meatloaf last night that was very good!  I thought sure Ken would turn his nose up at it, but he said it was great and could even eat another serving of it!  I told him he would have to wait until the next evening to eat some more of it!  Luckily this recipe makes 4 servings, and so we will be able to eat it 2 nights in a row, or I can freeze it and pull it out when I am running short on time!  The only problem I seem to have with Ken and his lean and green, is that he doesn't like very many of the veggies we can have.  He will eat lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a salad, but doesn't like any of the other OP veggies!  He said he would eat mixed vegetables, but at 9 gr. of carbs in a 1/2 cup, they really aren't OP.  So for now, I'll continue making him a nice big salad with his lean and hope that he doesn't get tired of it before he knocks those 40 pounds off! 

June 23, 2009 ~ 49 weeks later = 100 pounds GONE...
Yeah!  I have finally lost 100 pounds! Never in my life could I ever imagine that I would be able to lose this much weight!  Thank you Medifast!!  My work isn't done though...I still have more weight to lose, but for the first time in my life, I actually think I am going to be able to get to goal weight!  You have to understand that I have been overweight my whole life.  I know a lot of people that were thin for most of their lives, and then gained weight after going to college, getting married, having kids, or getting divorced.  Not me.  I started gaining weight in 2nd grade after my parents built a restaurant.  Grabbing pop and candy bars not to mention all the other goodies was just too easy.  So I don't have any recollection of ever being small.  I was always a ''big girl.'' And even now at 226 pounds, I'm still a big girl, but I know that I am going to lose the rest of my weight and be healthier!  I feel so much better!  My back and knees no longer ache each night.  I literally have a spring in my step!  I just wish I had found Medifast thirty years ago! 
My husband Ken has been so supportive of me.  He certainly got more than he bargained for 19 years ago!  I was 170 pounds when we got  married, and he thought I looked good.  It didn't take long after we got married for me to start gaining weight.  The nice thing about Medifast, is that it will not only get me to my goal weight, but it will help me maintain that weight once I am there!  My wonderful husband even joined me on my Medifast journey last week and has lost 11 pounds in week one and is feeling better already!! It is so nice to have us both be eating our lean and green together at night!  I never thought Ken would join me eating this way, but he has been a real trooper and has been inspired by my success!  He wants to lose around 40 pounds, and is well on his way to his goal weight as well!

Staying true to your program is the only way to go.  It has taken a little bit of time for me to get use to eating smaller meals several times a day, but it really is a smart way to go!  AND...I'm always 3 hours away from my next meal!

May 2010

May 12, 2010 ~ 90.5 pounds gone...
HOW COOL IS THAT??  Last week I lost one pound and this week I lost 2 more!  I LOVE MEDIFAST!  I am feeling so much better and when I catch my reflection in the mirror, at times I have to look twice!  I know that I will be able to get to a healthy weight with Medifast! 

I love the program so much that recently I became a Health Coach.  I love the idea of helping others on their journey to losing weight! It's my way of giving back, or in a sense ''paying it forward.''  And it helps me stay focused on what I am doing, so in helping others, I am helping myself!  Together we are working toward a healthy future!!  If you are needing someone to help mentor you through the program and would like me to help you, email me cindydaniels@teamtsfl.com and let me know. Let's get healthy together!! When I started Medifast July 16th, I weighed 326 pounds.  Today I weigh 235.5 pounds!  90.5 pounds less!  I still have a ways to go, but I know with Medifast I can do this!!

Dreams do come true...let me help you with yours!!
May 19, 2010 ~ I'm getting closer...
I am down 2 more pounds this week making a total of 92.5 pounds GONE! I have almost lost 100 pounds!!  SO COOL!  How exciting to still be losing weight week after week with Medifast!!  It's just like a dream that I have lost this much weight!  NEVER before have I been able to lose like this! 
I feel and look so much better! Thank you Medifast!  Who knew that losing weight could be so easy?  AND...I haven't gotten bored yet!  I am still as excited today as I was back in July of last year!  That right there is amazing!  Usually I would get bored on any weight loss plan I was on.  But not with Medifast.  I rotate around the food I order each month.  Some months I order more bars, some months more puffs and pretzels, some months more shakes and puddings. I always have a nice assortment to chose from!   I love this way of eating!! 

May 30, 2010 ~ Feeling so much better...
Wow...what a difference losing 93.5 pounds makes!  I am feeling so much better, especially now that summer is drawing near and it is getting hot out!  Thinking back to last year at this time, I was just really miserable being outside for any amount of time when it was hot.  I hated having to stand on my feet outside, and felt uncomfortable when I was at a function outside and there were chairs to sit on!  I just knew they would break if I sat on them.  So I would handle the situation by not going.  It was so much easier to just stay at home rather than risk being uncomfortable or embarrassed if a chair broke!  Can anyone relate to those feelings?  My life was literally passing me by while I sat on the sidelines.  What a difference having Medifast in my life has been!  We bought a new 3 person swing yesterday and to begin with I was afraid to sit on it. What if it broke?  How embarrassing would that be?  Then my husband reminded me that it would hold 750 pounds and I was a lot smaller than I was last year at this time, and even if he sat on the swing with me, we would be alright!  It still took about 15-20 minutes for me to decide I would be okay sitting on the swing, and I am happy to say that I have sat on it quite a few times now and all is well!  LOL!!  Old habits die hard, and it took a lot on my part to convince my mind that I could really sit on the swing and not break it. 

I think there are a lot of things like that. I had a friend ask me yesterday if I see the new me, or the old me when I look in the mirror.  Happily I was able to say that I am starting to see the new me.  But it took almost 11 months to be able to say that. And I am still a work in progress.  I still want to lose another  87.5 pounds before I go into Transition.  My mind is going to have to do some more adjusting before this is all said and done!  But I know that I will make it.  I have stayed OP and I plan on staying that way to goal.  Anything else would be foolish on my part.  I know this plan works, I just need to keep working it. 
Today I actually went to our rental house and mowed the (huge) backyard while my husband mowed the front yard!  Yes, I was on our riding lawn mower...but in the past, I wouldn't have dreamed of being out there in the sun for so long!  Today...it was fun!  Hot...but fun!  LOL!!

Dare to dream...and keep working your program. Medifast is amazing!  I am so thankful that I found it, and know that if you have any doubts, just stick with it, and you will become a believer!!

April 2010

April 7, 2010 ~ 81.5 pounds gone...
I am sorry that it has been a while since I have written in my blog. I fell in my kitchen (tripped over my dog!) the first part of March and broke my ankle!  So I have been walking around with a boot on my left foot for the past month!  Luckily, I will get it off in a couple of weeks.  I'm not in much pain, and I am lucky it was my left foot, so I can still drive.  I just got about a week behind in my homework taking pain medication for a few days after my fall, and had to get caught up with it.

My weight these past few weeks has continued to go down, with the exception of last week, when for some unknown reason it was up a half a pound!  I haven't been doing anything differently, and have stayed on program, so I just have to chalk it up to being the nature of the beast.  Most days our weight fluctuates and it just happened to fall on a day when I got on the scale.  The week before I lost 4 1/2 pounds, and this week I lost 1 1/2 pounds, so all in all, things are good!  :) 

I am having fun buying clothes in smaller sizes!  I actually bought 2 new pairs of jeans, and feel so good when I wear them!  I really don't mind shopping for clothes anymore.  I guess losing 80+ pounds will do that for you!  I still have a ways to go, but know that with Medifast I can achieve my goal weight!!  I have been overweight my entire adult life.  To finally find something that WORKS, that is so easy, has been life changing!!  If you work the program and stay on track, you will lose weight.  Here's to a great week!

April 14, 2010 ~ Shopping is fun...
Who knew??  That after losing 80+ pounds I would actually enjoy clothes shopping!!  Being close to or over 300 pounds for the past 15 years I used to HATE going shopping.  Nothing ever fit right, and if it did, it looked terrible on me!  Finally I am able to go shopping and have fun!  AND...I know that the fun is just beginning!  I really like the clothes they have at C.J. Banks, but the sizes only go up to a size 3x.  At the size I was, I couldn't fit into them.  Now I can comfortably wear a size 2x and I KNOW that I will be into a 1x soon, and then down into a size LARGE!  What a fun day that will be!  Medifast has given me a whole new outlook on life!! 

Today's weigh in showed a 1 pound loss making a total of 82.5 pounds gone!  Unbelievable.  I am finding a new found freedom, and I know that nothing is going to stop me from reaching my goal!!  Currently I have set 145 pounds as my goal weight.  At 5'3'', I think that is a reasonable goal.  I have never known this weight before.  I had to have weighed 145 at some point in my life...but I must not have been there for long, as I don't remember it!  Ideally, I would like to get down to 135 pounds, and allow myself a 10 pound ''buffer''.  That way if I start gaining weight, I know I will have to get back on 5 & 1 before I go over my 145 goal.  To me, this is a very doable thing!

April 21, 2010 ~ Amazing...
Wow! What a nice surprise to see that I was down 3 pounds this week!  LOVE THAT!  Total down ... 85.5 pounds!  Talk about a great feeling!  I only have 14.5 pounds yet to lose before I can say that I have lost 100 pounds!  Of course I have more weight to lose...but have never lost this much weight before in my life! 
I started Medifast July 16th, 2009 and would LOVE to be down over 100 pounds by July 16th of this year!  This past week I was released by my dr. to go back to walking for exercise after breaking my ankle 6 weeks ago.  I have to take it slow, but look forward to getting outside and walking.  Hopefully I can build my ankle back up.  Right now, it feels pretty weak. 

My husband is very proud of me.  He has seen me try and fail at so many weight loss plans in the past.  Medifast, and my success on it, truly amazes him!  And...I have to admit...it amazes me as well!

April 28, 2010 ~ Becoming a health coach...
Today I got on the scale and I am down 2 pounds, making my weight 238.5!!  That's 87.5 pounds GONE!  That is just unbelievable!  I can't EVER remember weighing in the 230's.  It's like I just jumped from the 220's to the 240's and even at that it has been over 20 years since I weighed in the 240's for more than five minutes!  Medifast is literally not only changing my life...it is saving my life!  I just want to cry when I stop and think how far I have come over the past 10 months!  Who would have ever thought that I could actually stick to this program, and that it would work so well?

This week I became a Health Coach for Take Shape for Life (TSFL)!  TSFL is the sister company of Medifast and is actually the marketing arm for Medifast!  How exciting to be able to help others on their journey to good health!  If I can help you, let me know!  Either send me a message on here, or you can e-mail me at cindydaniels@teamtsfl.com   We can lose weight TOGETHER!!

March 2010

I'm sorry but there won't be any posts in March!  I tripped over my dog Butch and broke my ankle!!  More to come in April.  Stay Tuned!!

February 2010

February 3, 2010 ~ Tying my shoes...
WOW!  Who would have known that tying my shoes (easily) could make me so happy??  That is just one of the many things that losing weight on Medifast has allowed me to do!  Not only do I feel great....I can bend down and tie my shoes without struggling!  I share this little piece of information with you...because I am betting that there are a few people out there that can relate to that accomplishment OR if you are having trouble doing things and thinking about starting Medifast, OR are already on Medifast but struggling, this is to let you know that it is worth doing!

A funny thing happened this past week.  My cell phone rang downstairs and I was upstairs, so I ran downstairs to get it.  When I went back upstairs, my husband asked me when I started doing that?  I asked him what he was talking about, and he said...''When did you start running downstairs?''  LOL!!  I hadn't even noticed, but according to my husband, that was something he hadn't heard before!  :)  So there are all kinds of perks you get with losing weight, and they aren't all on the scale!

This week I am down 1 1/2 pounds, making a total of 68 pounds GONE! Yeah!  Such a great feeling, and the best is yet to come!!  I have more weight to lose, but KNOW that I can do it with Medifast!!  Here's to a great week!

February 10, 2010 ~ 30 weeks in...
I am down 69.5 pounds!  I was so hoping that I would have lost another 1/2 pound so I can say I have lost 70 pounds, but I know I will get there!  It just amazes me that I have lost this much weight!  I usually say this every blog entry...but Medifast has been such a lifesaver for me!  I am so happy that I found it! 
I went to my chiropractor this week and he was very pleased with my weight loss!  He asked me if I knew how much weight 68 pounds (at the time) really was?  He then gave me a twenty five pound weight to hold, and then tried to give me another twenty five pound weight to hold (which I couldn't, it was too heavy!) and then said I needed to add 18 more pounds to that amount!  Suddenly, it really put my weight loss into perspective!  So if you haven't done this...you need to find something with an equal amount of weight that you have lost, and pick it up!  It is truely an eye opener!

Here's to a great week for everyone!  If you are thinking about trying Medifast and are reading these blogs to get a feel of what it is all about....go ahead and try it.  After all....what do you have to lose?? 

February 17, 2010 ~ 71.5 pounds gone...
What a wonderful feeling!!  Last week I was hoping that I would lose another half pound so I could be 70 pounds down, and now this week I am 71.5 pounds down!!

I am starting to have a lot of cool NSV (non-scale victories) which is nice.  This past week I had to go in for a CT scan and the tech showed me the changing room and pulled out a gown and put the one that was already out back in the stack of gowns on the shelf. I asked him if he gave me a ''big girl'' gown, and he told me ''No, I didn't think you would need one!''  How cool is that?  I have spent the majority of my adult life insisting on having a big girl gown when I would have to put one on....and now I don't need one!  LOL!!  AND...the really cool thing is...he was right!  The regular gown fit me!  YEAH! 

I think it is going to take some time for my head to catch up with the rest of me as far as weight loss is going.  Just the other day I saw a girl on Dr. Oz that weighed 316 pounds and I found myself thinking....that girl weighs what I do.  Which of course is not true!  But to me, I'm still that 300+ girl!  I did manage to get rid of some size 24 pants that I had, so that is a start!  I decided that there wasn't any reason to keep them.  I had worn  them a lot and a couple of pairs looked as tired as I was at that size, so in the trash they went!  That was a big thing for me. I have never had a lot of clothes.  Mostly because I use to hate shopping.  Hated trying on clothes and never finding anything that would fit.  Walk in closets were not for me, because I had nothing to put in them!  I have the feeling that is going to change!  With Medifast I can dare to dream about one day having different outfits to chose from...not just deciding on what shirt to wear with either my navy or black slacks!  How fun that will be!

I hope everyone that reads this is having a great week!  I have been on Medifast for the past 31 weeks and have lost 71.5 pounds!!  It works if you work it!!

January 2010

January 6, 2010 ~ A new year begins...
It's been 25 weeks and I have lost 60 pounds!  What a wonderful feeling!  I can't believe how well Medifast works!  I survived the holidays staying on plan and actually lost weight!  That has never happened before!  When I started Medifast, I was wearing a size 26W-28W and yesterday I put on a pair of 20W slacks!  Unbelievable!  I look to the new year with hope and the knowledge that I will lose weight this year!  SO EXCITING!!

I have started using my treadmill once again!  It had been sitting out in the garage collecting dust and I had my husband bring it into the house when I started Medifast.  The problem was at 326 pounds, I was too heavy to use it!  I would get on and start walking only to have it stop abruptly which practically threw me off of it!  Not fun!  My husband could get on it and walk with no problem...but I just couldn't.  So my treadmill sat in the house collecting dust until this last week.  I decided to get on it and see what would happen.  To my surprise I am now able to walk on it with no problems!  YEAH!  My husband is so sweet.  When it wouldn't work for me, he kept saying that he thought he just needed to adjust it and oil it.  Like there was a mechanical reason it was throwing me off!  LOL!!  What can I say??  He's a keeper!
Here's to a wonderful new year for all of us!  If you are already on Medifast you know how fantastic this program is.  If you aren't on Medifast but are thinking about it and are reading these blogs for some inspiration...what are you waiting for?  There isn't a better time to start on the path to good health!  What do you have to lose??

January 13, 2010 ~ Thinking about Spring...
The weather this winter has really been cold this year, as I am sure many of you have experienced.  Even one of my sisters who lives in Florida said it got down to 33 degrees the other day!  I was born in December and have always loved winter...but sometimes I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that I can put on a big winter coat, thinking it is covering up my size, and don't have a reason to be outside doing activities, like walking, mowing, working in the yard, or even just walking around in the hot sun sweating!  Could this be the real reason I prefer winter??  I have to wonder...

This week I lost 2 more pounds making a total of 62 pounds GONE since I started Medifast!  62 POUNDS!  And suddenly I am finding myself thinking about spring and how wonderful it will be to take off that big winter coat and reveal to the world...a new me, a thinner me, a healthier me, a happy me!  How exciting is that?? Medifast has changed my life and I couldn't be happier! Staying 100% OP is the only way to go.  If you want to take advantage of what Medifast has to offer, you have to stick with it, 24/7!  And you know what?  The longer you do that, the easier the program is.  When I heard about Medifast, I didn't think that there was any way that I could survive on ''just'' eating a cup of soup, or a bar for lunch.  I LOVE to eat, and how could I do this?  But I decided that I had to have faith and I decided to just do this and I am so glad that I did! 

It's still cold out...but spring is just around the corner!  I am so excited to see what it brings!   Then summer will be here!  I hate sweating, and being out in the sun...but that was before Medifast!  I have the feeling that this year things are going to be a lot different!!

January 20, 2010 ~ Down another pound...
Hi everyone!  Another Wednesday is upon us! I am happy to report another pound down this week.  Wish it would have been more...but I will take it!  They all add up!  That makes a total of 63 pounds gone in 27 weeks!  YES!  What a wonderful feeling!  I just wish I would have found Medifast about 20 years ago! 
I have an order being delivered today and am just as excited today as I was when I was getting my first order!  It is like Christmas!  This huge box magically appears on my doorstep and EVERYTHING in it is for ME!  LOL!!  Can't wait to see that big brown truck pulling to a stop outside my house! My husband gets such a kick out of me unloading my food and laying it all out on the kitchen table!  Does anyone else get that excited about a food order??  Probably not! 

Not much else to report this week.  I am looking forward to the sun shining one of these days!  It sure has been cold in Kansas.  Spring is hopefully just around the corner.  And just think how good we will all look come spring!  Here's wishing you a fantastic week!

January 27, 2010 ~ Love this program...
How exciting to get up and step on the scale this morning and see a 3.5 pound loss!  YEAH!  That makes a total of 66.5 pounds gone, AND I am now in the 50's!!  (259.5 to be exact...but still in the 50's!)  For me, that is simply amazing!  I feel so good losing this weight, and I know it isn't always an easy road.  If you are struggling, all I can tell you is that it is worth it, YOU are worth it! Just keep on track and the weight will come off! 

School has started back up for me, and this semester I am taking Spanish II and Human Biology!  I have to admit that I am not too excited about either class!  I don't really like science classes, and the Spanish is HARD!  But...if I want to get a degree in Social Work, this is the road I have to be on...so I will continue.  I am taking the classes online, which makes them a bit more challenging!  Especially the Spanish! 
Not much more to report.  I just feel so much better today than I did back in July when I started this journey!  I am so thankful that I found Medifast!  It is saving my life...plain and simple.  And...I am so thankful! Hang in there...don't ever give up on yourself.  Staying 100% on program is so important!  Medifast works!

December 2009

December 2, 2009 ~ 5 months = 52 pounds gone...
YEAH! I have officially lost OVER 50 pounds! How cool is that? I am sooo excited and so thankful to Medifast and all of my friends that support me along my journey! I feel soooo good! I am able to go clothes shopping and actually find things that will fit! And it's only going to get better! I look at clothes that are in smaller sizes and KNOW that I will be buying them one of these days!! This morning I made a Medifast pancake out of a peach oatmeal...and it was soooo good! I LOVE MEDIFAST!!

December 9, 2009 ~ Unbelievable...

That is how I describe losing weight with Medifast. Simply unbelievable. I have spent a lot of time weighing over 300 pounds and to get up this morning and see 271.5 on the scales is fantastic! I am down 54.5 pounds in 21 weeks. I know there are a lot of people that are losing faster than I am ... but I am okay with the rate this weight is coming off. It is averaging about 2.5 pounds a week, and I'll take it! I am proud to say that I have stayed ON PROGRAM 100% since starting Medifast!! This is the first time that I have been able to stay on plan with any weight loss program! I know it is because I have gotten the sugar out of my system and don't have the cravings anymore! Christmas, my birthday (12-21) and the New Year are just around the corner and I am so excited to see what the new year will bring! My husband and I will be celebrating our 19th anniversary on 6-21....and I am so excited to think how wonderful I will look by June!! Thank you Medifast for allowing me to dream once again!!

December 16, 2009 ~ My fifty pound ring...

No, I really didn't get a ring that weighs 50 pounds! My husband surprised me with a beautiful ring to celebrate my losing 50 pounds! How sweet is that? It is a channel cut diamond band that is simply beautiful.  Now that I have posted a picture of it here ... the picture is so large, that it actually looks like it weighs 50 pounds! But it is quite dainty and looks beautiful with my wedding set!  There's actually a story behind this ring. Four years ago, my husband got me a similar band and told me that he wished he would have gotten two of them, so we could surround my wedding set with them! I told him to wait until I lost 50 pounds and he could buy me the second ring. FOUR YEARS LATER....I finally found Medifast this summer am down the 50 pounds we talked about! I had actually forgot all about him telling me that he was going to get me this ring...so it really surprised me when he walked in the door with it! I weighed this morning and am down another 2 pounds! YEAH! That makes my total lost 56.5 pounds!! WOW! I'm actually doing this! Thank you Medifast! It is so exciting losing this weight! Here's to another great week!

December 23, 2009 ~ Feeling good...
I have been on Medifast for 23 weeks now and have lost 58 pounds! How fun! At 52, I have spent my entire life on a diet and finally feel like I have found something that not only works, but is something that I can live with! I love Medifast and love the way I am feeling. Never before have I been able to stay on program during the holidays! What a blessing. The holidays are upon us, and armed with Medifast, I feel like I can get through Christmas without any problems! Here's to a great week!

December 30, 2009 ~ Winding down 2009...

Well here it is almost the end of another year!  As I look back on all the changes I have gone through this past year, starting Medifast has certainly been the most important!  I have weighed over 300 pounds for most of my 18 year marriage.  It didn’t start out that way…when I got married I weighed 180 pounds and felt like a model!

  Before getting married, I weighed around 225-240 pounds and had lost down to 170 with Weight Watchers.  By the time I met my husband and we got married, (6 months later!) I had gained 10 pounds!  From there, I started gaining weight, and found myself at 329 pounds!  I would lose weight and then gain it back.  I am only 5’3’’, so every pound showed!  Bless his heart, my husband loved me no matter what size I was!  I tried just about every diet out there…but just couldn’t keep my weight off!  This past summer, both my massage therapist, and my hairdresser told me within a 2 week period that they were doing Medifast and having a lot of luck with it!  I decided that this couldn’t just be a coincidence, and that I needed to jump on the bandwagon and lose this weight once and for all!  At around $300 a month, this plan didn’t seem like a cheap solution to my problem, but once I saw how much money I saved by not buying junk to eat, not going out for ice cream 2 nights a week, and not eating out all the time, it was pretty clear that Medifast was actually saving me money!! I started Medifast on July 16, 2009 and have steadily lost weight every week since!  I am proud to say that I have stayed OP since day 1 and it is paying off!  Even through the holidays, I stayed true to my program and to date I have lost 59 pounds!  YEAH!  I know that with Medifast I will be able to get to my goal weight AND learn how to keep the weight off!  I’m not sure what my goal weight will be, but I plan on losing around 10 pounds more than my goal, so I will have a 10 pound cushion. I don’t ever want to have more than 10 pounds to lose ever again! 

Here’s to a wonderful NEW YEAR my friends! 

November 2009

November 4, 2009 ~ Surviving Halloween...
Another week down, another pound lost. One thing is for sure...if you are consistent with your program, you will consistently be losing! I am staying off of the scale, which for me is a good thing. I now weigh once a week, which for me is enough. I have found that jumping on and off the scale drives me crazy. I am proud to say that I survived Halloween without going off track! I didn't buy any candy to hand out and I think that really helped. I bought giant candy bars to give the grandkids when they came over to show us their costumes and they were just fine with that! Now I have Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the parties that go with it to navigate through before the end of the year! I am excited and I know I can do this!! Here's to another great week!

November 11, 2009 ~ Off to the doctor...
and he was very pleased with my weight loss and my fasting lab that I did! My cholesterol was 156, Triglycerides-92, HDL-55, LDL-83. My blood pressure that is usually high was 114/84! I am hoping over the next few months that I can go off of my blood pressure medicine! He thinks that if I continue the way I have been that I will be able to do that! YEAH! I will go back in 3 months, and I am hoping that the doctor doesn't even recognize me by then! Wouldn't that be great? I KNOW I can do this! Being on Medifast has EMPOWERED me! I feel soooo good! Okay...off I go to get this day started!

November 18, 2009 ~ Still losing...
Another Wednesday is here and I am glad to report another loss of 1.5 pounds! YEAH! At times it seems like it is taking forever to get this weight off. But in reality, it isn't. If I hadn't started Medifast, I am sure that I would have gained weight, or gained and lost the same 5 pounds over and over again! With MF I am able to dream about what the future will be for me as far as my size is concerned. I know that I can do this...and that I will! I am so thankful for Medifast! It has literally changed my life! Here's to another great OP week!

November 25, 2009 ~ Surviving Thanksgiving and birthday dinners...
So close to being down 50 pounds, but not quite! Total lost in 19 weeks is 49 pounds! I'll take it! I really wanted to be down 50 pounds by Thanksgiving, but you know what? I am just fine with 49! I had a real challenge last night when we took our son out for his birthday supper. We went to a local mexican restaurant and I had planned on getting grilled chicken with a salad. I have gotten this before and so I knew I could stay on program. WELL....when I went to order my chicken, grilled with no oil added, I was told that they marinate all of their chicken in vegetable oil! This is a fairly new practice, and they have not changed the nutritional value of the food on their menu! I passed on the chicken, as they literally didn't have ANY chicken in that restaurant that wasn't covered in vegetable oil! I just had a salad with no cheese, no dressing, and no croutons! Then when I got home, I grilled some Jennie O Turkey burgers! It was a nice time and I felt so empowered walking out of that restaurant knowing that I had made smart choices! Thank you Medifast!!  Thanksgiving was interesting as well. I decided to have the local Kroger store cook our holiday dinner, so I wouldn't be tempted to ''taste'' everything as I was cooking it.  Our daughter brought dessert, and I had my Jennie O Turkey burgers, a salad and green beans!  It felt GREAT to have so much control over food!  YAY!  

October 2009

October 9, 2009 ~ 35 pounds gone...
Wow! I am so excited to say that after 12 weeks I am down 35 pounds!! That is just 15 pounds away from being 50 pounds down!! How cool is that?? I have no doubt in my mind that I am going to be able to lose all of my excess weight with Medifast! What a wonderful feeling! I have been overweight my entire life. Finally, I have found a way to lose this weight for good! AND...I have been 100% on track with Medifast, which is something I hadn't been with any other weight loss program. I can remember going to Weight Watchers and then after the meeting, going out to eat! With Medifast I stay on track and stay on program 24/7!! To me that is a miracle! And the thing is, I don't even WANT to go off of this program! I love the meals, and enjoy having my lean and green meal as well! I find myself starting to dream about new clothes! Something I haven't done in a long time! Here's to a great week!

October 28, 2009 ~ 15 weeks in...
and I am happy to report that I am down 41.5 pounds! WOW! What an accomplishment! I have to admit that this plan has really been easy for me. I am dedicated to it 100% and KNOW that I am going to get to a healthy weight and stay there! For someone that has spent her entire life overweight...this is a miracle. I remember thinking when I was first thinking about starting Medifast, that I didn't think I could survive on having just a soup for lunch, or a bar for breakfast. I LOVE to eat, and I really didn't think I could stick to this. It's amazing how getting the sugar out of your body helps you! I don't crave sweets like I used to. I even made applesauce bread for my husband, and have managed to stay out of it. Before Medifast, I would have made an extra loaf, just so I would be able to eat it and not run out in a day! I'm not even tempted by it! That is unbelievable. Who is this woman I am turning into? I have been very busy with my studies, but hope to be more regular with my blog.

September 2009

September 3, 2009 ~ Another week in...
and I have lost another 2 pounds this week! Slowly the pounds are adding up and now after 7 weeks, I have lost 20.5 pounds! It's such a wonderful feeling to know that when I get on the scales I will see a smaller number! I now weigh 305.5 pounds and hopefully in a a couple of weeks I will be under 300 pounds! Yeah! This week I was able to stay off the scales until my weigh in day! That was a big thing for me, as I would drive myself CRAZY getting on and off the scales each day! So I am going to see if I can continue staying off the scales and only weigh once a week! Here's to another OP week!

September 19, 2009 ~ UNDER 300 pounds...

I am below 300 pounds and it feels GREAT! I didn't get back in here for my weekly update last week due to problems with my computer, but I am back to let you know that last week I had a one pound loss. This week I lost six pounds! How cool is that?? Total lost 27.5 pounds! It is wonderful to weigh under 300 pounds!  YAY!  So excited to see that number going down and to have it go under 300 pounds is even better! What a wonderful feeling!! 

 

September 23, 2009 ~ Loving this program...

Got on the scales this morning and was down another 3.5 pounds! UNBELIEVABLE! I am now down 31 pounds in the past 10 weeks! How great is that? I absolutely LOVE Wednesdays, because that is the day I get to weigh in! I have been really good about not weighing in daily. It really was messing with my mind. And if the truth be told, as long as you are working your program the weight will come off! And it is! YES!  Okay....off I go to begin my day! Just wanted to check in with you guys! Here's to a great OP week!

 

September 30, 2009 ~ I love Wednesdays...

Wednesday once again! Love my weigh in day!! I am happy to report that I am down another 2.5 pounds! Yeah! Total lost 33.5 pounds in 11 weeks! This program works so well, and I love the fact that it does! I have tried lots of weight loss programs, and this is the only one that feels this good! I feel good! My favorite thing to make is a pudding shake. I take a chocolate pudding, add ice, a little water, and a tsp. of instant decaf coffee crystals in my Magic Bullet....and I have this rich, thick, creamy shake! It is soooo good! AND...it is just like eating a frosty from Wendy's! You don't have to add the coffee...but for me it makes it taste a lot richer! YUM! Definately a treat! Here's to another great week on plan!

 

 

August 2009

August 12, 2009 ~One month in...
After being on Medifast for 4 weeks I am happy to report a total of 14 pounds lost!! WOW! I feel great! And I find that I don't look or think about food the way I used to! It's like my obsession with food is gone! Seriously, I only get into the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water or to grab food for my lean and green! Who is this person? I used to be in the fridge 1000 times a day, just ''looking'' at what I might want to snack or nibble on. What a difference it is now! I am so thankful for the Medifast way of eating! I think I will update this blog weekly unless something wild happens during the week that I want to tell you! Hopefully I can get some more pictures up in the next few days! Keep checking back on me. I plan to be another Medifast success story!

August 19, 2009 ~ Thoughts on rewards...
Wednesday has rolled around once again and I am happy to report a 2 1/2 pound loss this past week! Yeah! Total lost after 5 weeks on Medifast is 16 1/2 pounds!! It is so exciting to see the numbers on the scale going down! I am trying new recipes that I have found on the message board, and I have to say if you don't like the oatmeal, make pancakes or brownies out of it! YUMMY! I decided this past weekend to change my way of thinking when it comes to rewards. I usually tell myself after I lose X amount of pounds, I will reward myself. I have been wanting a blackberry, and had said to myself that when I lose 50 pounds, I'd get one as a reward. My husband wondered why I would want to wait on getting my phone? He thought I should get a reward sooner, because I had been doing great on program. This got me to thinking about it, and decided that I would reward myself for the time being on program, not the pounds lost. Does that make sense? I mean, I have stayed on program all month, doesn't that deserve a reward? (Okay, the weight coming off should be the reward...but I'm a girl that likes getting new things!) So instead of focusing on the numbers on the scale, I decided to reward myself every 30 days for staying on track! I picked up my blackberry this past Saturday and I LOVE IT!! I should be getting my second shipment of Medifast food tomorrow and I can't wait! I have ordered all the new meals and am curious to see how they taste! I'll let you know next week! Here's to a great week on plan!

August 26, 2009 ~ New food, twisted knee...
I like a lot of things about MF. But one of the nicest things is that I don't have to pay someone to weigh me once a week! It's nice to be able to weigh first thing in the morning in my jammies! I received my second shipment of food this past week and have now tried all of the new products. My favorite has to be hands down the Chili Cheese Puffs. They are delicious! I wasn't crazy about the Parmasean puffs or either one of the pretzels, but they are starting to grow on me. So if you aren't too crazy about them, just like the other Medifast foods....give it a bit of time and you might like them! I haven't started exercising, even though it is 6 weeks into my program. The reason? I somehow managed to twist my knee and it hasn't gotten any better. I actually was chasing after a baby kitten last night and heard this loud ''pop'' coming from my knee! Then the pain set in, and I am not sure what I did to my knee, but it wasn't good. I had an MRI today and will find out on Friday what the results are. I'm hoping that I won't have to have surgery on it. I mentioned weighing in this morning, but didn't mention that I lost 2 pounds! Total lost 18 1/2 pounds in 6 weeks! What a great feeling to continue losing week after week! I love Medifast! Here's to another great week!

July 2009

Please note: I have been writing this blog since I began losing weight in July, 2009.  I am just now deciding to share it with you, so when I transferred it over to this site,  the dates of the blog were off.  Therefore,  I will be putting the dates of each entry as the title of the post.

July 16, 2009 ~ Here I go...
Can you believe I have been overweight most of my life?  According to my mom and pictures I can find, I was a normal size child up until about third grade!  I think this was because my parents opened up a restaurant and I was thrust into an ''all you can eat'' kind of lifestyle.  That coupled with the fact that my mom was a great cook and always felt that ''a little bit won't hurt you'' helped me start gaining weight that has stayed with me for a long time.

After working at the same place for 22 years, I was laid off from work at the end of March in 2009. Determined to re-invent myself I decided to go back to school and lose weight.  So I started back to school to finish up a degree in Sociology and heard about a weight loss program called Take Shape for Life.

Take Shape for Life features Medifast meal replacements and actually sounded too good to be true.  All I needed to do was eat 5 Medifast meals and 1 Lean and Green meal a day.  What could be simplier?   This is my journey to lose 181 pounds and find optimal health!  My starting weight is 326 pounds!  Up above is a picture of me with my best friend since 2nd grade, Kim.  What an eye opener this picture was!  It was taken in May of 2009,  just 2 months before I started Medifast!

July 26, 2009 ~ Feeling good...

Today is day 11 and I am feeling good! I lost 4 pounds the first week on MF! A part of me wishes I would have lost more the first week...but I'm losing and that is all that matters! I have found that the soup tastes so much better when I cook it on the stove. I tried cooking the oatmeal on the stove as well this morning and actually liked the taste of it!! The thought of losing weight is so exciting to me! I want so much to be successful, and with Medifast, I know I can be!!  

Two weeks into my program I went to a family reunion.  I took my Medifast meals with me, and was able to STAY ON PLAN the entire time I was at the reunion.  And this was a three day event!  We traveled to Oklahoma City and had a great time!  My first challenge was the very first meal we had together as a family.  We went to this really great hamburger place in Bricktown!  I ordered a glass of water and pulled out my Medifast Crunch bar!  I was hungry and seeing all this wonderful food around me was interesting to say the least!  But I survived and felt GREAT about what I was doing for ME!  My family knew that I was doing this plan, and they have always been supportive.  Surprisingly, no one said anything or made a big fuss about the fact that I wasn't eating food that was dripping in grease!  It sure did look good though!  LOL! One of my favorite things about doing this plan is the fact that you get to eat a Lean and Green meal every day!  Getting to eat REAL food is definitely what helped me at the reunion and day to day when I got back home.  I could eat out in restaurants for one meal a day and that made it easy to stay on program!  Finally something I could live with!!