My first Medifast NSV

Without diving into the how-often-should-you-weigh-yourself-on-a-diet debate, it is important to acknowledge that shedding pounds can be measured by more than just numbers on a scale. Achievements like fitting comfortably into a once too-snug pair of jeans or getting a smiley face from your doctor on your lab results are just as -- if not more -- important.  Though I'm going to wait another couple of weeks to do a lipid panel, I had my first "I can wear these jeans again!" moment yesterday, and it felt amazing. In Medifast, this is called an NSV, or non-scale victory.

One of the most disheartening parts of gaining weight for me has been outgrowing clothes I'd worn just the year before. Not being able to wear a size medium any more made feel, well... large. The next step would be so-called Woman's sizes, a euphemism for you-can't-wear-normal-sized-clothes-any-more. In fact, I accidentally stepped into a plus-sized shop recently and the owner failed to tell me I didn't belong there.

Mrs. Medifast makes the rules now

Still, what was I to do? For years I have been telling people diets don't work. All you have to do is eat smaller portions of better quality food and get regular exercise. Except that wasn't working for me. I made too many exception, permitting myself to indulge too often in home, work and social environments laden with temptations.

"Where have you been?"

It turned out I needed a tough prison matron -- a stern figure who would tell me how much I could eat and when. Passing up the free ice cream sundaes at work on Friday was a true test of how well this works for me. If I made an exception, my weight loss could stall for several days because of the biochemistry of how Medifast works. The risk far outweighed the reward.

With the help of my new-found will power, my next clothing NSV is to fit into all the mediums in my closet that have been patiently waiting for me to wear them again. At the rate I've been losing, that should not be too long.

If you're interested in learning more about how you can lose weight safely and more rapidly with the Medifast 5&1 plan, please visit my Take Shape for Life website.

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