Break Free from Obesity

BELOW IS A "COMMENT" I LEFT ON A FRIEND'S BLOG ... I'VE COPIED AND PASTED IT BELOW SO FOLKS WHO FOLLOW MY BLOG CAN LEARN WHAT HAPPENED ...

Lyn,

I applaud you!!! I recently went on vacation and knew before I started Medifast I was going to be on "vacation" from my diet in June.

Let me tell you, I didn't binge but I had a lot of the "WRONG" foods. I couldn't eat everything on my plate (as you predicted would happen when you wrote this blog).

I must admit that I gained 4.8 lbs that week. I came home, got back on Medifast and lost 5.2 lbs in the first 3 days and I'm still losing.

HOWEVER, all I have thought about since I've been home is if I gained 4.8 lbs that quickly -- what the heck am I gonna do when I get to the transition phase?

OK -- I will admit that TOM was a factor that week but I still didn't like how I felt!!! I couldn't wait to get home (FROM VACATION) so I could get back on plan! That's sad when you want to get back home from vacation!!!

I was nerved up over my son's wedding and I didn't eat much at the wedding but I did have a piece of the wedding cake and that was the probably the best off program thing I had the entire the trip.

ALL the things I had that was off plan using the "only these foods are in my home town" excuse didn't even taste as good as I hoped they would. OK, they smelled good and tasted good but I hated how I felt after I ate them!!!

The lesson learned here is that I still have a long way to go on this journey. Not only the amount of weight I need to lose but my "relationship with food" has a long way to go, too!!!

God bless you for having gotten through your planned binge. As they say, "This too shall pass!" and for you it did.

Your little one is in my thoughts and prayers!!!

MJ

June 5th is my 3 month anniversary from starting the TSFL plan using Medifast replacment meals. I am happy to report that I have lost 42 lbs in 3 months!!! I will admit that I would have liked it to be more but that was always my problem with "diets" in the past. They didn't work fast enough.

Well, an average of 3+ lbs per week is pretty darn good and I am going to be content with that pace. I have noticed signicant changes in me and with food. I had a very disappointing day a few weeks ago. I went on a job interview, which would have been a fantastic promotion for me and I didn't get the job. :( The amazing thing was I didn't want to binge over it. WOW -- that is HUGE for me.

Here I was driving home -- knowing that my dream job had just eluded me and I was crying but at the same time the thought of saying "F**k it!" popped into my head for a moment. My next thought was, "No matter how bad you feel right now -- eating yourself into oblivion is not the answer!"

I may have been upset -- but I had a victory that day. I may not have realized it so much then as I do now -- definitely a victory for me!

I am leaving June 9th to go home to Central New York (Syracuse Area) for my son's wedding. I will admit that I was hoping to lose around 5 lbs a week which would have been about 70 lbs. Well, TSFL guarantees 2.5 - 5 lbs per week and I have consistently lost on average 3 lbs per week. Monthly female changes affect the scale but overall it catches up. I had one week where I only lost .2 lbs but the next day after my weigh-in day I dropped 2.4 lbs, which was calculated into the following weeks weigh-in day.

I have basically learned that my weight fluctuates at certain times of the month and I need to be patient. I have also learned that if I just stay focused on "keeping it simple" and simply hang in there -- the scale does move again.

Have I been true 100% on this program? Honestly, I have not been 100% so I need take an inventory of those times and account for them when I return home from my son's wedding. I plan to hit this program "true to form" when I return.

From June 10th - June 14th while I am up home I plan on being mindful of what I am consuming but I am not planning on doing Medifast 100% while I am on vacation. The key word here is on "vacation" and that means from everything (including my diet). Some folks balk at that but the truth is even healthy people at a normal healthy weight take a "vacation" from eating healthy when they are on vacation. My eventual goal on TSFL is to learn how to eat like a "normal" weight person.

I am on vacation and I do not need the "guilt" nor the "stress" of what I can and cannot have while I am away. I will have some Medifast foods for my breakfast and snacks and I will make the best choices I can make for my meals but that is what I will need to be doing when I get to the transition and maintenance phases of TSFL so this is just a "practice" run. :)

I will check in here when I return to let y'all know how the wedding went and how I did when I return home and hop on the scale. LOL

Until then -- happy trails ..............

Today is Day #1 of Week #11 -- I have completed 10 weeks on TSFL plan and I have lost 37 lbs! I still believe this is the easiest "diet" I have ever tried and I must admit I have never stuck with a diet this long before.

I also had a very discouraging day yesterday. I was not feeling too good about myself and was amazed that I did NOT have an urge to go binge!!! I will repeat that -- I DID NOT HAVE AN URGE TO GO AND BINGE!!!!! I cannot begin to stress how HUGE that is for me.

I thought it through and realized that no matter how "low" I felt -- throwing away everything I have accomplished over being disappointed was not worth it! I knew it wouldn't change the situation so why bother eating over it. I'm sitting here smiling (even though I'm still bummed out) simply because I didn't eat have to eat over being disappointed.

Thank you God and thank you Medifast!!! :)

MJ

Today, May 5, 2010 (Cinco de Mayo) is my 2-month anniversary since I began my "diet" with the Take Shape For Life (TSFL) program. How it works is I eat 5 nutritionally fortified replacement meals by Medifast and eat 1 Lean & Green meal each day. It is the simplest way of eating I have ever tried.

Well, I am happy to report that I am ↓34 lbs. in two months! YAY ME!!!!! :)

I still have a very long way to go but when I see the scale is moving on an average of 17 lbs. per month -- that motivates me to stick with it!!! :)

I will be honest here folks, the scale has slowed down the last few weeks. I guess you could say I hit a plateau on TSFL. Well, I increased my water intake and I have also added the Medifast's "Flavor Infusors" I ordered this month and I think that has helped to get the scale moving again. I am being more "mindful" of my Lean & Green choices too.

As much as I love the Cauliflower Pizza, I have decided to only have that on occasion when I am really needing a pizza fix. I'm not sure why but 1 cup of reduced fat cheese in one meal was definitely slowing my efforts. I seem to have gotten the "need to eat pizza" out of my system, though. I have been reading and working on Dr. A's Habits of Health so I can identify what my issues with food are and finally "feel, deal, and heal" from this food addiction.

Recently, another blogger friend of mine posted an article on seeing her reflection in a window and how that made her painfully aware of how large she still is and I could totally identify with her pain. I, too, am quite large and my mind plays tricks on me. I "deny" that I am as big as I am (like I don't know that I am fat) but for some reason I avoid looking at a full length mirror or avoid getting my picture taken so I can stay in my little world of denial. Denial is a BIG factor in addiction. DENIAL = Don't Even Notice I Am Lying (to myself)!

Well, I did take "Before" photos when I started this program. However, I am too embarassed to post them until I can take new ones that show me with a significant weight loss. The shame and remorse is too much right now for me to post my "Before" photos to show the world. Acceptance is a very hard thing when you break free from the denial and accept that no one else is responsible for how I got here except ME. I am where I am because of my own eating habits. No one made me eat the way I was eating. I am responsible for my circumstances (despite genetics) because I am the one who allowed myself to eat the way I was eating and not do anything about it until 2 months ago.

Don't get me wrong, I have verbalized that I am a food addict before BUT I never accepted what that meant so I kept on eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I will become a slave to food if I don't remain "mindful" of every meal I prepare and eat. That is why this program is so easy for me -- it takes the "thinking" part out of it except for the Lean & Green meal. Even then there is a list of what I can and cannot have so that keeps it simple, too!!! I love to keep it simple!!! :)

All I can say is I am finally on my "weigh" to a healthier weight and lifestyle -- THANKS to TSFL and Medifast!!!

Signed,
Kis MJ

I came home from work and my NEW Lean & Green Meal Cookbook by Take Shape For Life (TSFL) was here!!!  It was released last Monday and I have been waiting over a week for this helpful tool in my journey to Break Free from Obesity!

I am in Week #8 and still doing well on this program (down 31 lbs) but there is no doubt that I can definitely use some help in the Lean & Green meal area.  What is a Lean & Green meal?  It is a part of the Take Shape For Life (TSFL) eating plan or as they call it the 5 and 1 plan.

I eat 5 pre-packaged replacement meals (Medifast) every 2-3 hours per day plus 1 Lean & Green meal, which is made by yours truly.  Basically, the Lean & Green is 5-7 ounces of cooked lean meat (or meatless protein options) plus 3 servings of vegetables from the allowed list.  We are also allowed condiments and 1 serving of fat each day, too.   If you click here, you can see the condiments that are allowed on this .PDF file.

Well, I was running out of ideas on the Lean & Green meal but now TSFL has released a new cookbook with tried, true and tested Lean & Green meals. :)

I will definitely be trying these recipes out and posting about them on this blog so stay tuned!!!

Thank you TSFL and Medifast!!! I am finally on my weigh down to a healthy weight for the first time in over 25 years.  You have given me hope where I thought it was lost.  Thank you!!!!!  :)

♥,
MJ

Feeling very blessed today!  I work in an IT department for the biggest Hospice in the US (Suncoast Hospice).  We have about 1,200 employees and maybe 700 or so work at the same service center (office complex) that I work in. 

Well, in the last two weeks I have had two people that I work with and have lost weight on the Take Shape For Life (TSFL) program give me their leftover food they are no longer eating.  They are both on maintenance. 

The VP of my department gave me 6 boxes of the beef stew, 2 boxes of tomato soup, 1 box of chicken noodle and 1 box of chicken wild rice.  I was stunned! She told me she is so proud of me and wants me to keep up the good work.  She says she is no longer eating these (the soups) anymore.

Then another co-worker from our Admission Department dropped off 1 box of Maryland Crab soup, 1 box of Chicken Noodle, 1 box of Chicken Wild Rice, 1 box of Vanilla Pudding and several packets of different stuff.  She has lost 55 lbs on TSFL (Medifast) for a total of 106 lbs.  I was flabbergasted.  She and I are now email buddies and she is offering her support anytime I need it.

I was sort of bumming out because finances are pretty tight right now and I wasn't sure how I could afford another month of food.  Then these two people I work with give me their food out of nowhere -- both told me they are showing their support and want to help me reach my goal.  :)

On top of that I ended up with an $80 credit from my health coach because I had made a small mini order after my first monthly order and because it was under the $225 I didn't get my 2nd week of free food.  She told me she didn't think to tell me that placing an order in between my monthly orders would stop the 2nd week of free food so she credited my account $80!

WOW -- I am truly blessed!!! ♥

Pie Crust:

1 cup shredded or mashed cauliflower
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
1/2 cup 2% mozzarella cheese

Spread out somewhat thin on an aluminum pizza pan sprayed with Pam olive oil spray and bake at 450° preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. The edges should look like they are starting to burn.



Then remove crust from oven. Let cool down for a few minutes and flip over. Add desired toppings -- keeping in mind to stay within the Lean & Green guidelines.

Topping Pizza: (I added the following to my pizza)

1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup meatless crumblers
1/2 cup 2% mozzarella shredded cheese



Bake at 350° until all the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Some folks like to put the pizza under a broiler but this requires watching it carefully not burn it.

Below is delizioso pizza pie!



Who knew eating this healthy could taste this good!!! :)

Today, 4/5/10,  is my one month anniversary since beginning the Take Shape For Life (TSFL) program using Medifast replacement meals.  After one full month I have lost a total of 25.5 pounds.  Yay me!!! :)

I have been examining some of my old eating habits and one of them I'd like to write about tonight is mindless eating.  I cannot believe how much food I use to eat because I was so "mindless" about the amount of food I was consuming. 

At a young age, I developed the habit of "stuffing" myself with food when I wanted to avoid a situation.  My Mom died when I was 15 years old and if I wasn't turning to "partying" with my friends to escape the loss -- I was turning to food so I didn't have to think about how sad I felt. 

I cannot begin to guess how many times I wished I could turn back the clock because I missed my Mom!  I was mentally suffering from the "if only's" because I wished I could have said or done something differently before she died.  To get out of that mental suffering, I was either drinking too much or eating too much so I could escape how I was thinking or feeling.

I was very fortunate that a series of events (a whole other story) led me out of the "hell of drinking" and I got sober on June 15, 1992.  I am very content with no longer running from life on life's terms only to drown my sorrows in a damn drink.  Believe me, I know that drinking is always an option but to me it will always be the wrong choice!

Unfortunately, I never found my way out of the hell of eating against my own will until I found TSFL.  Heck, looking back, I can see how combining TV time with binge eating is a serious train wreck for good health but knowing that intellectually didn't stop me.  There was no stopping me!!!

Afterall, munching on who knows how many calories while watching TV is the greatest way to escape life's troubles AND remain sober at the same time.  I'm not drinking myself into oblivion any more.  I will get a handle on this food thing when I'm damn good and ready but until then I am going to eat whatever I want whenever I want!

Believe me, mindless eating is the biggest and badest habit that I need to break free from if I am ever going to be a healthy weight again.  Thankfully, I believe that Medifast is the solution to my success in finally kicking this obesity dilemma once and for all.

To me, mindless eating while watching TV is about shutting our brains off from thinking about whatever it is we don't want to think about.  Then the enormous amounts of food is to "stuff" what we are feeling.  If I'm too busy eating then I don't have to think about how I'm feeling and if I'm stuffing myself to not feel it keeps me busy enough to not have to think.  What a hell of a way to live -- or should I say exist?

Well, I am working on getting honest with myself about my obesity and how I got this way.  The truth is I have longed to be thin for years but too busy avoiding my feelings.  Let's get real, too lazy to do the leg work necessary to lose the weight and keep it off.  Damn, I have been literally stuffing my feelings for over 25 years, which has resulted in my becoming morbidly obese.  It makes me ashamed that I could be in so much denial that I was eating with such wreckless abandon.  Unfortunately, that is the truth of it in a nutshell.  I was eating with wreckless abandon and not willing to stop until now.

Thanks to bad habits coupled with mindless eating I reached my all time highest weight this year.  One month ago today I decided it was time to get off the damn Obesity Merry-Go-Round and do something about my weight -- finally.  Thankfully, devine intervention led me to TSFL and a wonderful health coach that got me started on Medifast.

I have accumulated many bad eating habits over the years so it is going to take time to undo the harm I have done by running from my thoughts and feelings.  Today I am no longer running away nor am I stuffing myself with food.  It feels good to think about what I am actually eating and not feel like a slave to food.  I wholeheartily identify with the concept of "Eating to live NOT living to eat!"

Thankfully, Medifast meal replacements and the book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health" have me learning how to eat the right type of foods, right-sized portions and  I'm eating every 2-3 hours so I am never hungry.  I am amazed that I do not feel deprived whatsoever.  Medifast is the perfect remedy for a mindless eater like myself.  I simply follow the 5 and 1 plan and I don't have to think about it! ;)

Thank you Medifast!!!

~MJ

I've been on Medifast for 25 days and I am down 22 pounds!!! I cannot remember a time I was on a "diet" for 25 days! I have been amazed at how easy it is to do Medifast's 5 and 1 program. I eat 5 Medifast meals a day and one lean and green meal. The best part of this "diet" is I'm satisfied. I don't feel hungry. My husband enjoys our evening dinner together because we are eating a lean meat and vegetables and/or salad. The greatest gift of all is I am not a slave to carbs! I have always been drawn back in by the carbs and I haven't even missed them. My motivation has been that I see the pounds melting away. I posted a picture not too long ago of what 16 pounds of butter looks like and now I have lost 88 sticks of butter off my body!!! Whooo hooo!!! Thank you Medifast!!!

I am going to share below something I typed a while back before I started Medifast. I had emailed it to myself at work and today I increased the font, printed it and hung it on my work station so I can see it every day.

WHY I DON’T EAT BAD CARBS

It makes me crave more carbs
It makes me feel blah (sluggish)
It keeps me FAT (obese)
It does not make my problems
go away – it keeps me FAT!!!

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!!!

My success tomorrow depends on my choices today!!!

THIS IS MY STORY

I began writing this blog on 3/5/2010 so I could put into writing my weight-loss journey. I have a very long road ahead of me but this blog will be a great way to keep track of the journey along the way.

Sadly, I have been very obese for the last 20+ years. I have tried to lose weight many times (countless times) but I always felt overwhelmed and deprived on a diet so it never lasted very long. As you can imagine, this became very depressing but the more depressed I was about my weight the harder it got for me to stick to any kind of a diet. :(

To me, being obese is a vicious cycle of overeating, gaining weight, wanting to lose weight, searching for the perfect diet but secretly not wanting to give up the comfort of food, feeling anxious and depressed about going on a diet, then finally giving in and eating more food to feel better only to feel shame and remorse. Around and around we go on the Obesity Merry-Go-Round. It's a hell of a ride to get stuck on. I should know, I've been stuck on this ride for well over two decades!!!

How did my weight become such a big problem? I was a normal weight child until 5th grade. I know this because I have pictures to prove it. Then the summer before I went into 5th grade I gained a bunch of weight. I stayed chubby until the tail end of 6th grade, when I started my first diet. How sad is that? My first diet was at age 12 in the 6th grade!

I don't really want to discuss what kind of shenanigans I was involved in at age 12 but let's just say hanging out with the wrong peers led me into a life style where I was able to lose some weight. Not all of it, though. However, I was still pretty active and not that much overweight.

During the summer of 1980 (entering 8th grade), I do remember being mindful of not eating any bread, sweets and drinking plenty of water. I also started walking A LOT that summer. I dropped 35 pounds in one month. I kept the weight off until 1982.

What happened? The rest of this story will continue at a future time when I have reached my goal weight and can post some "Before" and "After" photos. Until then, I will continue to write my story of being stuck on the Obesity Merry-Go-Round.

From now until I reach my goal, I will continue posting about my weightloss journey and other experiences along the "weigh" down. Truthfully, this is the most important part of my story because it will illustrate to my readers how I transform from being very obese to being a healthy weight after years of struggling to lose weight. I will share how I  Break Free from Obesity  and become Thin Again in 2010!!!

Signed,
KisMJ ~ Keep It Simple MJ

Here is another gross thought. For every 5 lbs a person is overweight -- that is how many 5 lb bags of sugar they are lugging around with no help of a grocery cart to push the sugar around in. Imagine a person being 200 lbs overweight. That means that person is lugging around 40 (forty) 5 lb bags of sugar just glued to their body with no help of a shopping cart to help push or carry it around. Their poor aching muscles and bones must be so tired!

The fact is that for every 1 pound of body weight lost that relieves the body of 4 (four) pounds of pressure. That is the truth of the matter. If a person loses 20 pounds they have lost 80 pounds of pressure. YOU do the math!

With either one of the analogies used above, the sad truth is I have A LOT more weight to lose. However, the reality is that I now know I can achieve this as long as I stick to the Medifast plan and do this journey one meal at a time -- ONE DAY AT A TIME!!!

I'm eager to break free so I can be THIN AGAIN IN 2010!!!

~MJ

I'm down another 8 lbs. making my two week total 16 lbs. :) I'd love it if I could lose 8 lbs. every week but I'm sure that won't last until I reach goal. LOL

Tonight for my L & G, I had parmesan crusted catfish, coleslaw made with Walden Farm's coleslaw dressing and green beans. It was very delicious and my husband loved it. He's not even on the diet and enjoying the L & G meals.

Tonight I'm freezing my vanilla pudding to see if I like it frozen. Other than that I am pretty tired (getting over a bug) so I will probably go to bed early.

I wanted to write what I am feeling and/or thinking but I'm drawing a blank this evening. I'm feeling tired I guess. I'm thinking I love Medifast for making the 5 and 1 program so easy to incorporate into my life. This is the easiest diet I have ever tried and I am feeling grateful to have found it!

Peace,
MJ

Well, I must say that I am very pleased to announce that I lost 8 lbs. on my first week of the Take Shape For Life program. I am feeling hopeful for the first time in more than two decades!!! My dream to become Thin Again in 2010 is off to a really good start! :)

There is so much more for me to look forward to on this program, too. I have so many new ideas for the Lean & Green meal. I also look forward to trying some muffin recipes using the Medifast oatmeal. I will post on here what I like so others may try it for some variety on the 5 and 1 plan.

Last night I made a parmesan crusted tilapia and my husband loved it. I used a little tiny bit of olive oil brushed on the fish, sprinkled (sparingly) some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika and reduced fat parmeson on each side. Baked it at 400° for 15 minutes. Delicious!

I've never been much of a "fish" eater so it is exciting to find a recipe that I liked. We had it with a side of mixed vegetables and I was so full when I was done eating. Before, the only time I had fish was if it were battered, deep fried and had french fries with cole slaw on the side. LOL

Today's Meals:

Breakfast: Cappucino
Mid-Morning: Apple & Cinnamon Oatmeal
Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup
Mid-Afternoon: Strawberry Crunch Bar
Dinner: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/ mixed vegetables
Evening: Chocolate Mint Bar

Today has been a great day!!!

~MJ

Whooo hooo!!! I have almost completed my 7th day on Take Shape For Life (TSFL) and I am thrilled that I found this program and how easy it is ... finally something I can do that I believe in!!!

Breakfast: French Vanilla Shake w/ Pumpkin Pie spice added ... YUMMY
Mid-Morning: Peach Oatmeal
Lunch: Chicken and Wild Rice
Mid-Afternoon: Chicken Noodle (I forgot to grab a bar to take to work)
Dinner: 5 oz. Lean Sirloin Steak w/ Side Salad and Kraft Light Italian
Evening: Chocolate Mint Bar (missed my afternoon bar -- no pudding tonight!)

There you have it ... a simple day in a nutshell ... Keep It Simple (the KIS in KISMJ) (:

Tomorrow is my first weigh-in day ... stay tuned as I become Thin again in 2010!!!

~MJ

Another successful day on my new weigh of eating. The Take Shape For Life program is the easiest diet I have ever tried. All others failed miserably because I found them difficult to plan the meals and it overwhelmed me. I'm not sure that it is the simplicity of this program or I'm just ready to finally do something about my weight. Maybe it is a little of both. ??? One thing is for sure -- I'm not hungry eating every 2 - 3 hours and I have not found a food yet that I didn't like. I'm training myself to nourish my body with nutritious fuel not overeat for the sake of how a food tastes. ~Peace Out~

MJ

Day #5 was a good day. I'm not hungry at all. I really like the lemon crunch bar and the chocolate pudding. I'm looking forward to Friday for weigh-in. This is the first time I've been eager to step on a scale in a very long time!!!

~MJ

Today was a crazy busy day at work. I was struggling to get my meals in every 3 hours. Then I blew up my lunch in the nuker (Chicken & Rice Soup). Ooops!!! LOL

I'm looking forward to weigh-in, which is this Friday. I'm going to keep this post brief because I am so darned tired from busy Monday at work.

Dinner tonight is a taco salad made with ground turkey. I'm thinking about trying the brownie for the first time tonight. I'll let you know what I think.

I am hoping to post on here everyday my first week on program. Then it might be a couple times a week. I am gathering my thoughts to tell my "obesity" story. I need to get it in writing. I'd like to express what it is like -- the hell of eating against your own will.

Until then ... be kind to yourself!

~MJ

Today was a good day. Stayed on program. For breakfast I tried the recipe on the Hot Cocoa box. It was very yummy. Mid-morning was an oatmeal crunch bar. Very good. I then had a Creamcicle shake (recipe on Orange Creme shake box). For mid-afternoon I had the cream of broccoli soup with a 1/2 cup of broccoli florets added and some reduced fat shredded cheddar. Best soup I've tried yet and it was like eating the real deal.

Then I mustered up the courage to drag out my digital camera and tripod so I could take a "Before" picture. I must say that I was mortified to see what I really look like from head to toe. It is no wonder I have been hiding from the camera for so long. I was feeling somewhat depressed afterward (I couldn't even cry) so I called my health coach and she reassured me that it is going to be OK. I just need to stay focused on the program and do this one day at a time.

For dinner I had steak and salad (I can live with that). My final meal was the chocolate mint bar, which I think strongly resembles the taste of Girl Scout Thin Mints. All in all a good day. I need to remember the feelings I had after seeing my "Before" photo so I can remember why I am doing this program. I want to break free and be thin again in 2010!!!

Well, today was Day #2 and I feel pretty good. No headaches and just a little tired but I didn't get a full nights sleep. I tried the Cappucino which was delicious! I'm trying to make my first meal soy-free due to thyroid medication. Mid-morning I tried the Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal, which I thought was good. I added just a sprinkle of cinnamon. For lunch I had the Beef Stew and so far I haven't been ecstatic with the soups but a little pepper and fat free parmesan helps. I have never been a big salt person so I am trying to avoid using bouillon because of the sodium content. Everyone in my Facebook discussion keep raving about the chicken noodle soup so I swapped my plans for a bar to the soup instead. Same as the stew -- it was OK but pepper and FF parmesan improved it. I love homemade chicken noodle soup and beef stew so I shouldn't be surprised that I feel "OK" about these meals. Obviously, a meal replacement is not going to taste like homemade. I'm hoping to make a L&G soup with Shirataki in the future but for now I am sticking to the Medifast foods and easy L&G meals. For dinner I had ground turkey made into a taco meat and had a very delicious taco salad. A chocolate pudding for my last meal of the day and that was pretty yummy. :)

I have been focusing on doing this program as it is written so I may "BREAK FREE" from this morbid obesity. I am so tired of being a slave to food and my willingness to do this program is making me smile right now as I write this blog. I am so happy that I found this program and like the meals. This food is to nourish my body so I can not only be thin again in 2010 but to retrain me on how to view food and use it as a means for nourishment not overindulgence and something to abuse.

Thank you Medifast and thank you, Sue (my health coach)!!!

~MJ

I was approaching today with enthusiasm. It has been a very long time since I was a normal weight and for so many years I have yearned to be thin again. For some reason, I was a slave to food. Subconsciously always searching for the next binge.

I can honestly say that I love food and I used to take great pleasure in eating myself senseless. This is no new territory to me. You see, I use to be like this with alcohol until June 15, 1992. That is the day I got honest with myself about my drinking.

Today, March 5, 2010 is the first day of my breaking free from the bondage of food! A new beginning for a new me. The me I long to be but can never seem to reach the thin me that is hiding inside this obesity. Please God, let it be me that breaks free!!! I want to be thin again in 2010!!!

Today is the first day of the rest of my thin life. I started a serious food reduction program called Medifast. It is a controlled way of eating and it is very simple to follow. I eat 5 prepared meal replacements and one lean and green meal. I have been searching for a way to lose weight for many, many years. I wanted to be thin and healthy again but diets always made me feel very overwhelmed about the food.

Since I have discovered Medifast through the Take Shape For Life program -- I feel hopeful that I can finally be the me that I was intended to be. Take Shape For Life, the simplicity of the food and a health coach is exactly what I have been looking for and I am so happy I have finally found it. All I need to do is "Keep It Simple" right now.

The idea of fueling my body with nutritious food instead of bingeing on everything I find pleasurable to taste is exactly what I need right now. I'm done kidding myself about being OK with who I am. Yes, I have made enormous progress in my life since putting down the booze. However, I have been unhappy about my obesity for far too long. In all honesty, I am not OK with my size, how I look, how I feel and how others look at me. I am so sick and tired of being tired and sick ~*~*~ of being fat!!!

How I got this way isn't important right now. What is important right now is that I have found a solution and it is up to me to take the necessary action on becoming a healthy weight. I am now willing to do the leg work because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have the power tools needed to lose all of my weight and it is up to me to do the manual labor so I may cross that finish line.

I do not know how much I plan to lose or what my goal weight is right now. I just know that I am not staying the weight that I am now and I just need to focus on one pound at a time ... one day at a time!!!

I was concerned that I might not like the replacement meals but it has been a good day today. I can honestly say that I did not eat anything today that I didn't like. I am in the mindset that the food isn't for my pleasure today. Today the food is to fuel my body with energy. I no longer live to eat but eat to live. Keep It Simple!!!

Stay tuned as I write about the living hell of obesity and the journey of breaking free. It is time to be me. Thin again in 2010!!!

~MJ