Update and Admission
I’ve gotten some emails asking how I have been doing in maintaining my weightloss over the past year. I’m posting here to give you an update and add a few recommendations if you have started the Medi-weightloss program. First of all, I am thankful that I went to the Medi-weightloss clinic when I did over a year and a half ago, because I was depressed and not feeling very hopeful. But, once on the program my mood lifted as those pounds melted away! My weight loss reached an amazing 40 pounds when I stopped going to the clinic.I had about 2 weeks diet pills left so I continued to follow the program’s guidelines until the pills ran out and then much of my willpower vanished. During those two weeks following my departure, I lost another 2 pounds and I was still flying high at a total of 42 pounds lost….but then….over time I gained back 20 pounds! 😦
Here’s how it went:
I tried to stick with the routine I had developed, but once I didn’t have the diet pills to lean on, I cheated a little here and a lot there. The holidays came and went. I saw a ten pound gain and went back to the clinic for help.
I was disappointed at their reception. I told them I had fallen off the wagon and wanted to get back on track. But instead of hearing what I had expected, which might have gone like this: “This happens sometimes and we have a restart program,” or “We are glad you came back before this got out of hand, here’s what we can do,” I faced shrugged shoulders. Seriously! In fact, I was told that it’s not easy to lose weight like the first time and that maybe I was just at the weight my body wanted to be at. Then the RN added, “But if you want to try, we can do it, but I don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t work, and I don’t want you to waste your money.”
In spite of the ambivilance I had faced, I paid $75.00, got a vitamin B shot, and a week’s worth of diet pills, leaving humiliated. This is not what I had expected from the team that had celebrated my initial weightloss with me. I was not given any diet advice other than go back to the first phase of the diet. Logically, I should have been able to figure this out on my own, right? But, I think I was expecting something more than what I got, and I went home feeling defeated and alone, and cancelled the appointment I had set up for the next week. I decided that this clinic was too expensive for the support I had gotten that day.
Over the next few months, the scale went up slowly as I vascillated between eating right and blowing it completely. The holidays were hard, birthdays were hard and almost all my bad habits came back. When I had gained back 20 pounds, I went to my doctor for my annual physical and found out that my cholesteral was slightly elevated. He and I talked about the fact that I had gained back the weight and he agreed to prescribe phendametrazine for me so I could regain control.
I thought this plan would be better since I only had to pay my doctor’s fees and the cost of a $20 prescription each month, cutting the costs by 3/4’s! That was last fall and over two months I had lost 7 pounds…not as impressive as when I was going to Medi, but at least I was headed back down.
The week between Christmas and the New Year, I starting seeing Dr. Mike Moreno on shows like The Doctors, Dr. Oz, and Dr. Phil talking about his new diet, the 17 Day Diet. All the doctors recommended it highly and there were people claiming to have lost weight quickly on this plan. Maybe it was the time of year (New Year’s resolution time!) or maybe some divine intervention…I don’t know…but I glommed onto the TV screen and decided that I was going to start this diet in 2011!
I started the 17 Day Diet on January 2, 2011 and as of this post, I have lost 13 more pounds, which means that I have lost that 20 pounds I gained back after I stopped Medi-weightloss. And the best part is that I am enjoying the food on this diet, and losing weight WITHOUT diet pills! I know it may sound like a fad diet, but it actually is a great roadmap for getting off the extra weight quickly and transitioning back into mainstream eating as you progress through each 17-day cycle.
This is my last post on this blog, because I feel I have found a better (and less costly) method to lose weight and am hopeful I will maintain it. I don’t want to discourage you if you are losing weight with Medi….keep it up. But if you fell off the Medi wagon like I did, or have been worried about how you’ll maintain the weight loss (since Medi doesn’t actually provide a maintainence diet plan), come join me on the 17 Day diet once you’re off their program. I’ve started a 17 Day Diet Tips Blog and plan to journal regularly how I am doing and provide helpful tips there. I’m feeling energetic, sleeping well and extrememly positive about this plan!
Whatever plan you follow, make your health top priority, and don’t give up! If one diet doesn’t work, find another. And don’t overpay to lose weight. Switching over to the 17 Day diet will cost you around $25 for the book or around $50 if you buy the exercise DVD too. That’s a big savings over the $1200 I paid for Medi.
Good luck…let’s find a way to lose weight that we can maintain for life…that’s the goal we must keep in sight.
This post has been reposted on the 17 Day Diet Tips blog also:
17 Day Diet Tips: http://17daydiettips.blogspot.com/
5/31/2012 Update:
In my constant search to find a way to reach my healthy weight, I am now a solid Weight Watcher member. I found the 17 day diet a good way to drop some weight fast, but not good for long term for me. I’ve lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers, and I am SO excited to have finally tried this plan. It’s so easy and less expensive than Medi-Weightloss. I know WW is my diet plan for life now and I urge you to consider it if Medi or the 17 Day Diet isn’t working for you. Don’t throw away your money! Gimmick diets that involve shots and diet pills don’t work long term! Here’s my WW blog link if you want to give it a try! Good luck…don’t give up…find the right diet for you!
Tuna on Cucumber “Crackers”
Easy Albacore Tuna Snack
Now that that holidays are over, do you need to lose a few pounds like me? If so, get back on the Medi-weightloss wagon and lose them! Here is a tuna recipe that works great as a lunch or snack.
- One 5 oz can of solid white albacore tuna
- 1 tablespoon low fat mayo
- 6 seedless, red grapes cut in half
- 1/4 apple, peeled and cubed
- 1 green onion
- 2 shakes of seasoned salt
Mix together until thoroughly blended…it will be a bit dry.
Eat by heaping on sliced cucumbers like you would crackers. Enjoy!
Plan a Healthy Halloween This Year
Holidays make it hard to stay on the weight-loss track, don’t they? But don’t be tempted to fall off the pumpkin wagon for those unhealthy sugary treats! This is the time in your life (and diet) to redefine Halloween and find healthy substitutes. Think about those skinny jeans you want to wear this winter! Here’s an article to help!
Image courtesy of Phaewilk/morguefile.com
Spooky, No-guilt Trick or Treat Ideas
There is a movement underfoot toward making Halloween a healthier, spooky night. In my article, “Join the Healthy Halloween Movement“, I outlined the Healthy Halloween movement that was initiated in New York City in 2009. But for those of us who don’t live anywhere near New York City, that doesn’t mean we can’t copy their lead and get creative in planning a safe and happy Ghostarama for October 31st. Here are ideas to cut the sugar without losing the witchery.
Websites with Healthy Halloween Ideas
The internet is filled with ideas for healthier Halloween spookfests, so surf for them! Here are some websites I found eerily helpful:
My recipes.com
This site is great site for recipes of all types, but their “Healthy Kids” and ‘Diabetic Recipes” sections would be especially helpful in planning a healthier and sugar-free Halloween. Check out their “Pack a Lunch with a Healthy Punch” and “Smart Snacks for Kids“, “Low Sugar Snacks” and “Low-Sugar Party Foods“. Their kid approved videos provide kid’s opinions on certain recipes and will earn a smile from you.
Continue Reading “Plan a Healthy Halloween This Year“
Pasta Alternatives for Weight Loss
DocteurCosmos / Wikimedia Commons
During the maintenance phase of your diet, you need to continue to think about your food choices! Here’s good info for you pasta lovers!
Whole Grain, Low Carb and Healthy Spaghetti Substitutes
What is better than a plateful of spaghetti and meatballs? How about a plateful of a healthier pasta alternative that tastes just as good, but won’t run your diet in the ditch? There are lots of pasta options today that can reduce the calories and carbs in your favorite dishes. So, if you crave pasta dishes, but are trying to lose weight, read on for ideas to stay on track!
First, a Reminder About Refined Grain Products
A majority of Americans today eat a diet full of refined grains lacking much nutritional value. When dieting, cutting out the refined “white” foods from your diet is an effective way to lose weight.
The Care2 website gives healthy and green living tips. Their article, “Whole Grains Vs. Refined Grains” explains how most of the nutrients are removed when grains are milled. “Modern milling of whole cereal grains puts the kernel through a high-heat milling process that removes the germ and bran (which contain 90 percent of the nutritional content of the kernel), leaving only the endosperm (starch). The starch is then ground into different sizes for different purposes. The result is “refined” flour.” They tells us that refined wheat flour is so nutritionally insufficient bugs die eating it in silos! Also, foods that contain refined grains are higher on the glycemic index than whole grains, which can play havoc with blood sugar levels.
(Continue reading Pasta Alternatives for Weight Loss here)
Have Sex and Lose Weight?
Sex can help you lose Weight!
A Steamy Lovemaking Session Can Burn 200 Calories!
Everyone knows that losing weight requires eating less and exercising more. So, can sex help a woman in regard to both? The answer appears to be yes!
Almost every woman has experienced losing weight after beginning a torrid love affair, right? The reason for this involves three things: the euphoric high that a new passionate relationship creates, a busier schedule that leaves little time for eating, and the thermogenic energy of all that body heat!
More Sex, Less Food?
Often the start of a new love affair involves fitting a relationship into an already hectic schedule. Somewhere between homework and laundry, kid’s soccer practice and teacher nights, a 50-hour workweek and yard work, lovers must carve time for a budding romance and steamy trysts!
(Continue reading “Have Sex and Lose Weight” here.)
Can Hot Chili Peppers Help You Lose Weight?
Pop a Few Jalapenos and Boost Your Metabolism!
Hot chili peppers are used in many dishes in the United States Southwest where they are served up almost everywhere, from the corner taco stand to the trendiest restaurants. And while many dishes that include hot peppers can be greasy and fattening, the peppers themselves can actually encourage weight loss!
Hot Peppers Contain Capsaicin
Capsaicin is an active component in hot peppers, including jalapenos, chili peppers and red peppers. The Jalapeno Madness website states that Capsaicin is thermogenic, stimulating the body’s fat burning furnace thereby increasing metabolism. Wikipedia’s Capsaicin entry supports this, saying “According to animal and human studies, the oral intake of capsaicin may increase the production of heat by body [sic] for a short time.” And luckily, in the food preparation or storage process that might be involved when using chili peppers, it is helpful to know that capsaicin can survive both the cooking and freezing processes. Hot peppers are low on the glycemic index and can also provide satiety, helping you feel full quicker!
Continue Reading “Can Hot Chili Peppers Help You Lose Weight” here.
Holiday Aftermath
Belly too full?
Well, I made it through the holidays! Did okay with my spending, but veered off course in my diet and gained 5 pounds! I think it’s important to be realistic about the holidays and how hard it is to pass up the cookie plate. But, on the other side, there is no reason to continue to ride that fat train in January.
Here’s my January plan:
- Clean out the remnants of any holiday food from my home.
- Put a reminder note on my fridge to get back with the program.
- Log everything I eat in caloriecount.com
- Hit the store today to stock up my fridge with protein and greens.
- Add one or two extra “exercise bursts” to my day. That adds 70-140 extra minutes of exercise each week!
- I plan to follow my Medi-weightloss week two plan until I’ve lost the 5 pounds (maybe even an extra 5!).
If I find I’m having problems sticking with this plan, I will return to the Medi-weightloss clinic for help. I was reminded when I went on maintenance that my initial payment and physical is good for one year, so I can rejoin at any point for just the weekly fee during this timeframe. It would be worth the weekly fee to get the help, if I need it.
I hope if you find yourself in this position after successfully losing weight for months that you’ll jump right back on the band wagon with me. Whatever we did bad during the holidays….let’s correct it, and start out 2010 with renewed resolve to be healthy and marvelous!
Ever Heard of a Natural Eater?
I thought this was an especially eye-opener:
November 12, 2009
by Mary_RD
In a past Blog, I covered the differences between chronic dieters (also called ‘Restrained Eaters’) and Natural Eaters who have not experienced deprivation diets. The disparity rests with the restrained eaters’ narrow boundaries, rigid control and inevitable feelings of guilt; the natural eater shares none of these. Continue reading….
How Many Calories in a Thanksgiving Dinner?
Public Domain/wikimedia commons
Public Domain/wikimedia commons
Ways to Cut the Calories and Fat This Holiday Season
Oh, those dinner feasts eaten every holiday season! Everyone anticipates it for weeks, the cook spends hours preparing it, and it fills bellies beyond their normal capacity. In planning the feast this year, the family cook should consider all options for lowering fat and making healthier choices. Keeping portion control in mind as eaters heap the goodies on their plates is important, and It wouldn’t hurt to work a little exercise into the day to help burn some of those holiday calories off either!
Watch out: Mix Fun and Exercise During the Holidays!
Its that time of year when temptation is around every corner! I made it through Halloween maintaining my weight loss and intend to do the same for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One way to do that is by stepping up exercise. Here is an article with some good ideas to incorporate exercise into the holiday fun!
Calorie Burning Games for the Holidays
During the Holidays, play calorie burning games!
by Jan Peterson
During the holidays, in addition to enjoying each other’s company families spend an enormous amount of time eating meals, throwing parties and exchanging goodie baskets. According to ABC News Health in its November, 2004 article “Making Thanksgiving Dinner Healthier” by Ali Mohamadi, Americans gain, on an average, seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day! They also provide statistics from a report by Health Management Resources, that a typical Thanksgiving meal contains 7,100 calories!
Finding activity games that the whole family can enjoy during family gatherings will burn some of those staggering calories, and fight packing on those pounds. Every family should become more aware of the importance of exercise and physical activities all year round, and be sure to incorporate fun ways to exercise during their holiday events.
My Medi-Weightloss Recipes & Tips 
