5 Pound Rule: Maintaining My Weight Loss After Medifast

After losing 35 pounds on Medifast in less than four months, I promised myself I would not regain the weight I had lost. Since I could now eat technically anything -- from fruit to Fruit Loops -- I had to create a plan that would ensure my weight would not creep back up.

I don't actually like Fruit Loops, but I love
how Kellog's tries to make it look healthy
with FIBER on the front of the box

From February to July of this year, I had very little problem keeping the pounds at bay. I continued eating a modified version of my Medifast 5&1 -- lots of salads, minimal carbs, occasional replacement meals. Now I could add strawberries, blue cheese crumbles and nuts to my salads; so they were even more fun and tasty to eat.

Then I went on vacation.

I made a conscious decision to leave my adult at home and sent my inner child off with my husband to visit relatives in Oregon and Washington, feeling confident I could handle the consequences when I returned home. We're talking buttery croissants, eggs Benedict, frozen yogurt with candy toppings,  garlic fries at the ballgame and tropical drinks.(My inner child didn't get carded since she still looked like a 50-something woman).

I didn't go near a scale for the eight days I was gone, and when I returned home I was delighted that I had gained back only five pounds. My rule of maintenance is that whenever I exceed my ideal weight by five pounds, I have to eat and drink clean until the new fat melts off.

Thanks, Winston, but I meant
the other kinds of 5 pounds

A week later, I am down three pounds and feeling happy to be back eating healthier. Having given myself permission to eat whatever I want, I have gotten a lot of the fun foods out of my system; so I don't crave them. I know that I can eat them any time I want, but I am choosing not to.

Most importantly, by not allowing myself to continue gaining weight after reaching the five-pound threshold, I did not put myself in the position of having so many pounds to lose that I felt overwhelmed.Five pounds is a piece of cake.

Figuratively.


You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for less cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.

Medifast Bars - ALL FLAVORS - You Choose ANY 20 Boxes



More from Diet Skeptic:

Fruck You! Fructose

Can You Drink Alcohol on Medifast

Medifast Centers Vs. Take Shape for Life

Planned Exceptions: What Is Your Pie Policy?

Wabi Sabi Dieting & Renee Zelwegger's New Face
Follow Nancy's board Low Carb Recipes on Pinterest.