Remember my numerous posts about my creeping weight, and no matter how much exercise or “dieting” I did… I could NOT get below 132?  And I had a goal weight of dropping back to 127 pounds….

My weight reached a peak at the start of this year at 138 pounds.  Ugh.

I’m happy to report that I’ve done it!  I BEAT 127 pounds….I’ve been at 124 pounds for the past three weeks!

That means I’m down 14 pounds from January 2011.  I’ve lost 5  inches from my waist (belly button line), 2.5 inches from my hips/butt and nearly 2 inches off my thighs.  That’s over 9 inches lost!

Here’s the slimmer trimmer me:

Great expression in the before picture, isn’t it!  I remember pulling on those size 4 jeans that I couldn’t even button and my muffin top was bulging out all over the place- egads.  And yes, those are the same jeans in the above picture.  Much looser.

So how did I do it?

Well, I’ve been on a strict “medically approved” meal plan….you may have heard of it…. Medifast!

Losing the weight was actually really easy…and I lost it in just 3 1/2 weeks!  My weight stabilized at 124, but I stayed on the plan because i was still losing inches.  I’ve been on the plan for six weeks now.  Six long weeks of no sugar: no soda, no cookies, no donuts, no chocolate bars.  Not even the sugar in fruit or dairy, which means no bananas or berries, no oranges or grapes, no milk, no yogurt.  No bread, no chips, no tortillas.  No rice or potatoes.   No apple or blueberry pancakes, no cereal.  No tater tots or corn dogs or chicken nuggets. No peanut butter and jelly!

Well that makes it sound like torture, doesn’t it?

The weird thing is, you don’t really miss those things- at least not TOO badly!  Seeing the fast results- losing pounds and inches day after day, week after week- it really doesn’t bother  you that you don’t get to eat that junk.  The food you eat makes you feel amazing!  You feel full of energy, so healthy.  And it’s not due to any additives in the meals, it’s just that every meal is so well balanced and nutritious.  And the food actually tastes pretty good- once you get past the first few days (hee hee).  On a daily basis I would eat the Medifast pancakes/muffins, shakes, chili, pudding, brownies, crunch bars, hot cocoa, chai lattes.  So it’s not like I was eating a bland diet.  I felt bad eating a brownie for dessert when nobody else in the family was.  :(

I started a journal to track my progress and I’ve been making entries every single day- logging what I eat, how I feel, how much I weigh, my measuremets….it’s all there.  Even some (gross) before and after pictures!  (See link at the bottom of this post).

Anyway….. it worked for me.  If history proves itself, I can maintain this weight for years and years to come with just a little effort.   I plan to keep my new leaner figure….forever!

As added motivation, I bought a new wardrobe of jeans- all in size 4!  My size 8 jeans- GONE.  My size 6 jeans- boxed up.  Hoping they too will be gone in a few months.  I love that my fitted shirts all fit and accentuate the right things- instead of showcasing my poochy belly.  No more sucking it in!

I will be transitioning off the diet over the next four weeks (yep, it takes THAT long to get off the diet) and I’ve started adding weight training (and will eventually add in cardio training) and I’ve increased my calories- been eating a little more than I’m supposed to and so far I’m still maintaining and/or losing, so I’m confident transitioning off the diet will go smoothly.

So what life-long changes will I be making as a result of following the Medifast plan?

1) I like veggies.  I didn’t before.  But now on a weekly basis I’m eating cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower…..not just lettuce or canned beans or corn.  I’m actually going to give Brussels Sprouts a try, and I ate Acorn Squash for the first time at Thanksgiving and I LIKED it, so we’ll start eating those types of veggies, too!

2) Eat often.  One of the main keys to the program is eating every 2.5-3 hours, usually a well balanced 100 calorie “meal”.  I plan to continue doing that….

3) Be balanced.  Every meal that I ate on the program was balanced:  about 35% carbs and 35% protein.  Sugar was limited to about 8-10 grams per meal.  I plan to ensure that my snacks and meals continue to follow that balance.

4) No sugar.  The hardest part of the program was no outside sugar, and it was an eye opener as to how much sugar I was consuming!  I will not be going back to my daily Coca-Cola.  I will not be eating a Pop Tart with the daycare kiddos, either.

5) You are what you eat.  This was the most shocking realization.  On this plan, I was eating a balanced no-sugar low-carb meal every 2.5-3 hours.  I was only consuming about 900 calories a day, but I felt AMAZING.  Because the food was GOOD-FOR-THE-BODY food.  It was fortified with protein, vitamins and minerals.  It was balanced.  It was the same amount of sugar at every meal so there was no up or down swings.  I truly felt amazing.  And I want to keep feeling amazing.

I might keep some of their foods around- like the pancakes, or the puddings, or the brownies.  I think that kicking off my mornings with one of their meals in my belly is a great way to kick off the day.  I mean, sure- I can go back to eating an egg every morning….but I could eat a Medifast meal instead and get more protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals- plus the right balance of carbs….for just 10 calories more.  Hmmmm…

There’s 42 days worth of entries on my Medifast blog- but if you want to read a real-life experience….here it is!

http://medifastfor10pounds.wordpress.com

I’m considering becoming a Medifast Life Coach… if you are interested just let me know!