We’re now almost halfway into January and I am happy to report that I’m still experiencing quick weight loss. I have slipped up a couple of times and that was mainly due to alcohol and not food. Regardless, I’m excited about the progress I am making. I’ll announce the numbers on Monday. According to Health Magazine: “Incredibly, over 70 percent of us keep our New Year’s resolutions only one week.” I am still plugging away on my quick weight loss program. How are you guys doing. Based on my search engine results, it seems like everybody was interested in getting started on a quick weight loss diet in January, but the interest seems to be fading.
The thing that makes it a little bit easier for me is that I lost 13 pounds in a month last summer. And I definitely wasn’t 100% on program. So I know that Medifast works. But some of you might be trying Medifast for the first time and may have some psychological hurdles to believing it will help you lose weight quickly. I’ve put together this article to help you with the psychological side of the weight loss
1. Think “Baby Steps”
People don’t start Medifast because they are looking for slow and steady results. They start because they are in a desperate situation and realize they seriously need to lose weight. They look at it exclusively as a quick weight loss diet. It’s a lot more than that. If you follow it to the letter, I have no doubt that it’s the most effective way to lose weight fast. But if you’re looking at the scale every morning anticipating a huge drop – you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
The exciting thing about Medifast is the huge drop that usually happens in the first week. It’s enough to get you really pumped and then when your system settles into week 2, it can be a little disappointing. I would encourage you to look at each week as a Baby Step. Most Medifasters end up averaging about 2-3 pounds of weight lost per week. It may not be as dramatic as The Biggest Loser, but it’s still remarkably quick weight loss. Add that up over 4 weeks and you’ve lost between 8-12 pounds in a month. For health reasons, it’s also about as fast as you want to lose weight. So keep the long term in mind and take baby steps towards your end goal.
2. Deal With Your Emotions
An intense, quick weight loss diet like Medifast is going to put you in an extreme situation. At some point you are going to be forced to confront WHY you eat. Are you an emotional eater? A bored eater? What type of emotional state are you in when you splurge on dessert or a bottle of wine?
This program is going to force you to look into your soul and really deal with the underlying issues that got you into this in the first place. If you don’t face these issues, you will always struggle to take control of your weight. This is probably THE biggest single issue I’ve had to struggle with during this process. It’s forcing me to confront some dark things about myself. I’m not sure I have great advice on how to deal with this, but realize that it’s going to happen and welcome the experience. Look at it as a chance to reprogram the operating system of your brain.
3. Set a Specific Goal
The more specific you can make your goal, the more likely you will be succeed. My goal is to get to 190 pounds before summer. After I get to that point I am going to give myself a 5 pound range to stay within. Your goal could be to lose 10 pounds. Or it could be to lose 100.
I recommend picking an ideal weight that YOU are happy with. This doesn’t have to be your “medically approved” weight. People have different body types and different desires for life. Pick a number that you can personally be happy with. Divide that number by 2. That’s how many weeks you’re realistically looking at being on Medifast. Let that time frame sink into your head. Mark it on a calendar.
4. Write Everything Down
I did this for a little while here on the blog until I figured it was probably boring everybody. But I still write everything down. What I’ve eaten, how much water I’ve drank and how much weight I’ve lost. It’s on my big calendar, where I’ve also marked various dates which are various goalposts for weight loss. I can’t recommend this step highly enough. Use the blocks on the calendar to mark off days and make notes to yourself. It’s impressive to look back and see a big row of days that you’ve stayed on program and to see the weigh-in numbers getting smaller and smaller.
Attempting a big weight loss may seem intimidating because the numbers don’t feel very real until you’re actually losing the weight. But a base estimate of losing 10 pounds or more in a month is a pretty quick and easy weight loss. And Medifast is pretty pleasant once you get started. Even if you’re looking at 6 months or more. Just take a few days and let the time frame sink in. You are putting a halt to your normal behaviors and attempting something that is totally outside the ordinary. Look at this as an important time period in which you are going to do some serious work on yourself – physically and mentally. It is going to change you – hopefully forever.