I had my first major MediFAIL yesterday.
I’m going to call it a MediFAIL whenever I fail and go off program. Everything had been going really well and I was in an awesome fat-burning stage where I could almost FEEL the fat burning off of my face. But the perfect storm of a pretty girl, a nice restaurant and a vodka on the rocks sent me careening off the cliff.
Waking up, I immediately realized that I had totally blown it. Since I am keeping an open and honest account here, I knew I was going to have to write about it. But it did get me thinking that this is something that everybody on Medifast or any weight loss program is going to have to deal with. From time to time, you are going to screw up. The important thing is how you’re going to deal with it and whether or not you’re going to let it turn into a major setback.
We all have underlying food issues.
If you are on Medifast, you probably have some underlying issues with food. I haven’t run into many people who are on the problem because they “just want to lose a few pounds.†People tend to turn to Medifast when they realize they have a serious problem and want to actively take steps to take care of their weight. Coming to grips with your weight problems requires you to look at the underlying issues that got you into the situation you’re in. 
My underlying issue is that I binge eat to take my mind off of other problems. I don’t consciously realize that I’m doing it. Sometimes I’m not even thinking about the food I’m shoveling into my mouth or even about how it tastes. In the past, my refuge was in fast food or salty junk foods like potato chips. In some deep recess of my mind, a switch would flip and before I knew it, I was decimating a Filet-o-Fish sandwich and a huge order of french fries (washed down with a large Diet Coke, of course).
Since being on Medifast, I have come to grips with a lot of the things that would tip me over the edge. When I go off program, it isn’t because of fast food or sweet foods. I have those taken care of.
I really love social eating and drinking.
My problem is that I really enjoy a nice meal at a nice restaurant with nice company and… a glass of wine or a cocktail. I can usually find a variation of salad to substitute for my lean and green meal of the day, but I have a very hard time turning down a drink. It’s not the drink itself, it’s the overall experience.
And once I have a drink, I figure I’ve blown my plan and I may as well enjoy a meal because I am going to go out of ketosis anyway. And if I’ve blown my ketosis and am going to have to have go through 3 days of Medifast detox again, I might as well have another drink. AND, if I had a drink before dinner and know that I’m probably out of ketosis… so I might as well have a steak and enjoy my window of off-program eating.
Right?
Am I a junkie for life?
The first place I turn to for advice about Medifast is usually the official discussion forum. There is a lot of information there … and a lot of noise. I found a lot of threads discussing what to do when you Medifail and go off program. The consensus seems to be that most people don’t make it back on program and instead just descend into a nightmare of gluttony and grotesquely swelling bodies.
One forum member even compared it to a junkie shooting up with heroin. I had a nightmarish vision of lapsed Medifasters dragging their morbidly obese bodies across the parking lot of fast food joints, searching zombie-like for deep-fried meats and cursing the day they ever drank a Dutch Chocolate Medifast shake. If failure is so close, maybe somebody should just pass the french fries right now!
It’s pretty extreme stuff. I think some of these attitudes towards food are as destructive as the attitudes that got us into our situation in the first place.
My Steps to dealing with MediFAIL
- Remember: You are awesome!
The first part is psychological. Give yourself a pep talk. Take control of your thoughts and remember: You are taking concrete steps to make your life better, healthier and happier. Food is not evil and therefore you are not a junkie. You can’t be addicted to something you REQUIRE to survive. Losing weight and changing your attitudes towards food is an ongoing process and you are getting better and better at it.
- Remember: CALORIES
Ketosis is what makes Medifast work so quickly. People on Medifast get obsessed with it. And it is cool. It is awesome. But if you become overly obsessed with the concept of ketosis, it’s easy to forget about calories. Even if you do fall out of ketosis, you are still consuming less calories than you need to maintain your weight.
So, if you slip up and eat something that’s off-program, don’t use that as an excuse to binge eat (or drink). If it’s a small slip-up, you are still operating at a calorie deficit. So don’t blow your overall calories for the day. Just get back on program and power through.
- Remember: this costs money.
Now that you’ve given yourself some positive reinforcement and forced yourself to really think about calories, it’s time for some cold hard reality: Medifast costs money. You are spending money because you are serious about losing weight. Even though you will have success from consuming a deficit of calories, you will get to your goal weight faster if you can stay in ketosis. The longer it takes, the more money you spend.
It will probably cost around $70 to get back into ketosis. That’s adding up three days of Medifast foods and three basic lean and green meals.
Moving On
So I went overboard. But it’s all a matter of putting it into perspective. Guilt over a meal doesn’t really benefit you. It’s just another bump. Take the experience and use it to make yourself better, healthier and happier.
Today, I have stuck to the program perfectly and I have really enjoyed it. I like the Medifast foods and I’m not depriving myself. Experiencing Medifast is a luxury and I want to enjoy the process as I enjoy the results.
What about you?
I would love to hear about your experiences. Please leave a comment below.
Thanks for posting this! I went off yesterday because I just had to have a LARGE Chick-Fil-A Lemonade and to say that I felt myself instantly fall out of ketosis, well, pyschologically at least, is a little misleading but I was beating myself up over it! I needed this and I’m going to get there!
Thanks for your comment! Yeah, I think there is definitely a lot to be said for keeping your mindset positive. It’s not the end of the world. And sometimes I think confusing your body is okay (I have no scientific proof for this). But our bodies are sophisticated machines. If we give them good fuel to work with, I think they can figure out what to do with it. So, stay positive… you’re gonna get there!
I TOTALLY agree….I screwed up BIG time and had a two day bender! But it only took me 2 days to get off the 3 or 4 lbs I gained….usually I end up losing 8 lbs the week after a binge because my body has been shocked and when I get straight back on the program it starts losing like it did in the very beginning…..
Hey Brad. Welcome to the site and thanks for posting. I’m glad that I’m not the only one who has an occasional bender. I’m with you though on the weight loss sometimes being pretty drastic and quick afterwards. I know a lot of diets are strong advocates of the cheat day, but I’m not ready to go that far yet. I’m doing my best to stay on program. Time to lean into it!
I just ordered my first 4 weeks yesterday. So thankful to find your site and can’t wait to read through all the information. Thanks for sharing your journey with us!
Thanks for visiting the site and thanks for your comments! There’s a lot of new stuff coming soon, so make sure to stop by again.
Alana – I checked out your blog and like it a lot. Nice work! Will you be writing about your Medifast experience?
Great blog. I really enjoyed reading this. Made me realize I am not the only one who messes up
Tequila has no CARBS! Only 97 calories. DRINK ON! LOL
Hi, I am doing MediFast for the first time. Today begins my third day. I am sticking with it perfectly so far…the water and everything. But I have to admit, even with the meals and my Lean & Green and the water and the optional snack and the no-calorie beverages…I am still starving most of the day. I've got 40lbs to lose. Looking forward to looking like my old self again, however, I'm not looking forward to the hard part – keeping it off!
It gets easier after the third day. That's when things seem to kick in. As far as keeping it off, you should definitely follow the transition process. You definitely can't go back to the way you were originally eating. I have been off program several times and only gained a few pounds each time. But during each break, I got better at eating healthy. I am definitely not a good role model when it comes to Medifast, but I am a true believer in it. I just have only followed the plan haphazardly.
Just curious, vodka has no carbs and it still will make you out of ketosis? Cheryl
Cheryl, I think the calories will set you back, big time. I had Vodka a few weeks ago and my weight lost stopped for 7 days! I had Vodka/diet 7-up on a Friday and Saturday. I even drank more water than usual. It sill halted the weight loss.
Alcohol metabolizes as sugar – it doesn’t matter that it “has no carbs” – it has the same effect in the body as sugar. I start Medifast as soon as my shipment arrives. Yay!
I fell off too the other night! I had a bottle of wine…=(. The alcohol is what is hard for me. Also, if I am PmSing…it is sooooo hard to stay on track! I did a test though, alcohol will set your weightloss back by 3 or 4 days!! So, I am at least not drinking every night. I went 10 days with nothing, then had the wine! =(
Thank you so much for writing honestly about this. It is something I haven’t been able to get a real answer to and I needed to know. Yesterday I wanted a certain thing so bad I really was lucky it was not readily available. I took my ravenous craving out on a rotisserie chicken instead and was relieved when the feeling passed. For now. Extra chicken seemed like a small price to pay. I can’t tell you enough how happy I am to have found your blog.
Hey this is my second diet of my life. It works when you stick with it.
I am easily discouraged though.
So week 1: lost 8.2 lbs without metabolic booster melts and only one weekly shot (didn’t know I had those additional options)
Week 2: (still didn’t know about metabolic additional options) had lost another 5.3
At the end of week 2 I had gone from ***152 to 138 lbs*** !!! But I fell out of ketosis that day??
Defeated feeling, went on two day bender, got ok 4 days, slipped again two days starting with at five year olds Brithday, having headache from sugar withdrawals… tasted some frosting, then went out for Chinese with MIL
Next two days: (baileys, vodka, junk food)
Week 3 : GAINED 3.5 lbs 🙁
Defeated, frustrated, slipped up bender five days S**t!! (Baileys, shortbread Trader Joes cookies, Turkish food and baklava! Jeez!?
Terrified of weigh in tomorrow.
I hope they don’t throw me out the door!
A month ago someone asked me, “So when are you due?” I answered, “Im just fat, more than I thought I guess.” 🙁
I have never dieted before, (gained 20lbs after two losses; hormonal changes over 3 years) or exercised, thought people who messed up diets were weak willed?!?…..and NOW I finally appreciate the difficulty!
Please forgive my stupid ideas about dieting. I’ve learned the hard way.
Just know, I have messed up worse than any of you on this thread.
Cross your fingers for me?, that I can get back track. I NEED this.
I hope I have not gained it ALL or MORE back, even though I will get what I deserve.
Hoping and scared!
i just started medifast today and i was all good until my little girl got up and was eating animal crackers and she wanted to feed me. i dont know why but i had a total brain fart that i was on medifast. i was so sick with myself i went and threw up in the bathroom as much as i could. i hope as long as i stick to it the rest of the program that it doesnt effect my weightloss. 🙁
April –
Honey, a diet should be to ENHANCE your quality of life. Think about it, if you found your daughter in the bathroom with her finger down her throat because she ate something “off her plan” what would you say/do? (I am assuming you’d freak the heck out on her.) Why do you deserve to be treated less lovingly than her? You ate some (low-fat) cookies – BFD. You move on and smile remembering that cute little memory.
Good luck to you.
Julia
(I battled bullimia for years – no good comes of that.)