It really IS a lifestyle!

When I first started the Medifast program back in 2012, everyone kept telling me to stop calling it a diet.
"It's NOT a diet, it's a lifestyle", they said.

 OK.....whatever you say....I played along, but inside I was thinking "But wait, it IS a diet, I mean it's a method of eating, right?  The true definition of 'diet' is a preferred bunch of foods that people eat...for instance Eskimos eat a lot of whale (ugh), Japanese eat a ton of fish, etc.  Right? 

So it IS a diet, really.  OK OK, so it is...but people told me, "You can't have the attitude that this is a diet, because when you do that, when you go OFF the 'diet', you'll regain the weight because you won't change your eating habits".

OK, OK....I get that, too.  Gotcha.


So I played along. But again....inside I kept thinking, "When I get to goal....oh BOY, I'll be able to eat whatever I want!  I can't WAIT....I can go to Dairy Queen again, and I'll order a peanut buster parfait, OMG I LOVE those...."

I didn't put 2+2 together.  I mean, HELLO?  If I ate a peanut butter parfait the second I was at goal, I would NOT be at goal long!

So obviously I had to change my thinking.  And little by little, over the course of my weight loss journey on the Medifast 5/1 plan, I DID start to change my head.  I changed my eating habits.  I became hungry for 'just a little something' every 3 hours, and that was IT.  I found I enjoyed my MF meals very much because they kept me satisfied and NOT hungry.  I loved getting on the scale every week and seeing it go DOWN.  I got addicted to drinking lots and lots of water...so I got up 3,4 times a night...no biggie. (I STILL do that, by the way LOL).

I DID change. Slowly but surely I started to look FORWARD to my salads with dinner every night. I thought in terms of healthy leans....I even got rid of my cookbooks, and boy, I had a TON of them.  All those super-fattening meals I used to make?  I stopped.  And my husband didn't complain, by the way....because I still made him his favorites, a burger and Kraft mac & cheese (in the blue box!  I know, I know....but hey, it's his favorite, and I don't mind cooking two meals).

I do NOT, however, make him lasagna anymore.  Nor did we send out for pizza or chinese every Friday night anymore. 

Instead I experimented with new L&G recipes, or new ways to play with my MF meals.  I found I adored the MF 'peanut butter cup' (made with MF hot cocoa plus PB2).  I created several great 'go to' L&G recipes that I relied upon, over and over again, and really LOVED. 

And I felt so good....so full of energy, with more flexibility, etc., that I was able to increase my workouts at the gym.  I became a gym nut!  I started doing Spinning classes every Monday morning, a group weight lifting class called Body Pump every Thursday followed by an hour-long yoga/tai chi/Pilates combo class....plus I did a straight Pilates class on Tuesdays.  And the weight circuit on my off days PLUS personal training PLUS the treadmill.  Whew!

Yeah, I know...right?  A pretty heavy schedule! 

But I worked UP to it.  Slowly but surely, with a lot of encouragement from my Trainer. 

And I have fibromyalgia, folks!  I HURT if I overdo. I have to be very very careful.

On the other hand, if I don't move at ALL?  My muscles get like concrete....they are HARD to move!  So exercise is very important for me to keep up.

And I DID get addicted to it!  I love my friends at the gym, I love my classes, and commiserating (and moaning and groaning) in class with my friends.....many of whom are NOT supermodels or 20 year olds anymore, either.  LOL.  Like me, they've 'been there, done that' and are simply working out because it's part of their LIFESTYLES. 

COOL!

So my lifestyle DID change.  Gradually, slowly but surely, without my even realizing it!
And then, finally....Transition.  YEAH!  And I KNEW I was READY for Transition when I actually DID NOT want to go to Dairy Queen anymore.  Because I KNEW where that would lead.

Instead, I followed Transition to the letter....adding back one food group at a time, and in the process?  I felt like I 'sealed' my eating habits.  I found I really really LOVED the taste of a fresh orange!  And would pick that every time!  INSTEAD of the sludge!

Sludge became my binge food.....and the binges DID haunt me for awhile, it's true...but with a lot of time and effort and a LOT of forgiving myself and just going back to eating a packet the next morning, over and over and over again....I have been training myself to STAY eating healthy.

I've learned that THIS IS THE WAY I EAT NOW.  It's the way I NEED to eat, to stay healthy and happy, to have energy to live my life, to NOT hate myself, and to maintain my weight.

So I still eat MF packets. So what?  They are perfectly formulated with just the right nutritional balance that my body NEEDS.  Protein with every meal is important for me.  Without it?  A carb based dinner or meal alone?  Would have me starving 5 minutes later...and running for more. 
And sugar?  All those desserts and stuff that I swore I'd 'never' give up?

Guess what?  I've learned I DON'T NEED THEM.  They are POISON to my body.  Sugar sets me off....like an addict.  One dessert, and I'm suddenly "the Thing that ate New York" LOL. 

Seriously. I've learned I am truly, a food addict, a sugar addict, and a binge eater.

The combination of all three means when life hands me lemons?  I don't think lemonade...I think lemon meringue PIE!  LOL!

So I've had to analyze my emotions, handle things WITHOUT my 'crutch' of food and sweets, and I've come a long long way.

Oh, I'm not perfect...not by any means....but I can truly say that eating healthy IS now a lifestyle for me.  THIS IS THE WAY I EAT NOW!  It really is! 

And I'm happier for it.  I don't NEED all that junk. 

Who cares if I'm eating MF meals?  People say 'You need to learn to eat normally'.

But what IS normal?  Americans as a whole eat too much sugar. Is it NORMAL to poison our bodies that way? 

And who SAYS I have to eat fast food and bread and fried foods and junk foods and chinese and pizza?  What if I say NO to those things?  The world won't come to an end.  I'm entitled to eat whatever I want to eat....and I choose to eat HEALTHY and treat my body like the incredible GIFT it really is.
No one can feed me....but ME.  And no one can force me to eat 'just like everyone else'....because again, a). what IS that? with all the gluten-free, vegetarian, carbfree, God only knows what weird diet people are on....and b). eating 'just like everyone else' is what got me to 235 lbs in the first place!
So I don't CARE to be normal.  I'd rather be HEALTHY.

Here's to changing your LIFESTYLE....to learning how to eat BETTER, for the rest of your life!  Even if you DO have to eat MF meals....who cares?  I'd spend the money on junk in the grocery store...now I spend it on nutritional meals that taste GREAT.

Have a great weekend, all!  And don't worry about being normal.

BE YOURSELF, instead!  :)

Linda Leiby
alias Catlover77/Catlover771
Certified TSFL Health Coach
angiecat6@comcast.net