Stop Trying to Lose Weight: Yoda, Pencils and Diet Fails

As a customer service manager for a healthcare company, I roll my eyes when one of my employees tells me they will "try" to do something.

"Don't try," I say. "Just do it." Then I give them a pencil and ask them to try to sharpen it.

Point made (no pun intended).

Try is a weasel word padded with lame excuses not to do something. Which is why so many people try to lose weight -- and fail.

Back to my work analogy. I have learned to always ask my employees to tell me their strategy for any goal they are aiming for. Without a concrete plan, they are far more likely to fail than succeed.

Trying is lying

When I finally decided to lose weight instead of try to lose weight, I chose the Medifast Take Shape for Life program as my strategy. I loved that it had a structured eating plan and provided a free health coach to keep me motivated, accountable and educated. 

Medifast is not the only weight loss program that works. You can lose weight on many programs, including Weight Watchers, South Beach and the Dr. Oz diet du jour.

However, when I looked at the steps I would need to take to achieve my weight loss goal, Medifast looked very doable to me. The replacement meals would fit comfortably with my busy life. I would not have to fix a bunch of new recipes or turn into a treadmill troll. The one lean & green meal per day would teach me how to prepare the kinds of meals I would need to eat to maintain my weight after I ditched my extra pounds.

And guess what? Since I did not try to lose weight, I actually lost it. Thirty-five pounds to be exact. And I have maintained that weight loss for four months now with minimal effort.

The Medifast Take Shape for Life plan for losing weight and gaining optimal health may not be right for everyone, but it was right for me. And without a plan, chances are I would still be trying to lose weight.


You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra 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 replacement meals on Amazon

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Why Medifast is Not a Donner Party Diet

One of the coolest things about Medifast is that it helps you lose weight more rapidly than you can  with many other diet programs. That is the exact same thing about which some critics complain. If you lose weight quickly you'll gain it back quickly.

Or, in the words of Donner Party survivor Virginia Reed, "Don’t take no shortcuts.”

Sheesh... there's a meme for everything these days.

In some ways, Medifast is a shortcut to weight loss. One of the reasons people lose interest in their diets is it takes too long to lose a significant amount of weight. Their patience shrinks faster than their waist line, and they gradually go back to their bad habits.

In contrast, the relatively rapid pace of weight loss with Medifast is highly motivational and the ketosis factor -- cheating will kick you out of fat burning mode for a few days -- is an added incentive to stay OP (on plan -- see Medifast Lingo).

Part of the secret to why Medifast works so well is that it's paired with the Take Shape for Life Program that teaches habits of health. Dieting is as much about the mind as the mouth, if not more so; thus, learning lifelong habits to maintain a healthy weight and achieve optimal health is what makes Medifast and Take Shape for Life such a dynamic duo.

After not eating fruit so long, a salad with strawberries feels like a "cheat"

After several months of eating replacement meals and looking forward to my fresh lean & green meal each day, I am delighted that I can now eat more fruits and nuts and other fresh foods all day long. If I want processed foods, I'd just as soon eat a protein-rich, low-calorie, vitamin-packed Medifast replacement meal as an empty calorie candy bar or bag of chips.

Taking a shortcut did not work for the Donner Party, but for many people using a diet approach to losing weight, Medifast can be faster and more effective than less rapid weight loss plans.

It is the rare case in which the exception proves the rule.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra 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 replacement meals on Amazon

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How Medifast Helped Me Develop Better Habits

Medifast Centers Vs. DIY Medifast

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Is Medifast Becoming the Donut Diet?

Move over shakes.

Ever since some Martha Stewarty Medifasters got the idea to use Medifast replacement meals to make donuts in the Babycakes Donut Maker, the Internet has been riddled with recipes for miniature Medifast donuts.

People are mixing everything from pancakes to brownies to mashed potatoes -- and, yes, even Chai tea -- to make tasty meals that are crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside.

They may look like bagels but, trust me,
they taste like knishes.

Can you say delish?

Beginning to feel like I was the only Medifaster on the planet who hadn't tried this cutesy kitchen gadget, last week I broke down and finally ordered a Babycakes Donut Maker from Amazon.

My first attempt at donuts was inspired by one of my favorite Medifast vloggers Andrea, a.k.a. MetallicaMom Doing MF, who turned Medifast mashed potatoes into what she described as a knish. (See her video here.)

Click on link at right
to purchase... you won't be sorry!

Babycakes DN-6 Mini Doughnut Maker, Yellow, 6 Donut

Many moons ago I lived in New York; so I can remember how good that potato delicacy is. Sorry, Andrea, but I was a tad skeptical that the Medifast powder would result in anything remotely close.

Oops! By accident I bought the
Babycakes Donut Maker
that makes only four donuts.
Buy the one that makes six!

I was wrong.

The crispy potato donuts that came out of my Babycakes Donut Maker were as close to knishes as you can get without all the starchy calories. Dipped in Dijon mustard, they were to die for. And because they are high in protein (as are all Medifast meals), they were filling, too.

Since I am no longer in Medifast weight loss mode, I mixed one packet of Medifast sour cream and chives potatoes with a whole egg instead of a quarter cup of egg whites, and I added a quarter cup of water. The batter made 10 mini-donuts.

I'm sold. Medifast and the Babycakes Donut Maker are a marriage made in heaven.

Now what should I try next?

My Cat Doesn't Know He's Fat

Of my three cats, Christopher, Colombo and Gucci, I probably love my middle cat the most. I know we're not supposed to play favorites with our kids, but Colombo has that hapless undercat thing going that never fails to melt my heart

Whereas Christopher and Gucci are lithe and agile, Colombo must struggle to climb a tree or hop over the fence. Like a feline Avis, he has to try harder. And when he succeeds I am as happy as the mom at the soccer game whose child finally scores a goal.

So, this morning when I walked into the bathroom, I had to chuckle when I saw Colombo on the scale. I took a series of pictures of him to which I added anthropomorphised captions to show the folly of determining our worth by a number on a scale.

"Uh oh, I ate five bowls of cat food yesterday. I'm afraid to look."

"Gained another pound? I'm pathetic."

"That's it! Monday I start my diet!"

Seriously, my cat has no idea he is fat or clumsy. He is really happy with himself and enjoys his life to the fullest. He is always the first and last cat at the table, and he's cool with that.

To Colombo, the scale is just another comfy place to sit.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra 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 replacement meals on Amazon

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Gabourey Sidibe, Weight Loss and Self Love

Though it may seem easier to love yourself if you're at your ideal body weight, you may never reach your ideal body weight unless you love yourself.

Talk about a vicious circle.

Should your shape dictate how you feel about yourself?

What the woman in this picture knows is that if you feel good about yourself -- at any weight -- you can accomplish almost anything you want.

Take Gabourey Sidibe, who has taken more heat for her weight than almost any woman on the planet. When Barbara Walters asked her to name the downside of fame, the "Precious" actress said, "Public opinion," adding: "The upside is that I've never felt more powerful. And I'm strong. And I'm amazing. And I know that."

At the 2012 Women In Entertainment Symposium, the 300+ pound Sidibe said, 'When I was 21 or 22 I just decided that life wasn’t worth living if I wasn’t happy with myself so I just took all the steps that I could to figure out how to love myself and become confident."

Gabourey Sidibe at Sundance

Before she became famous, the Brooklyn native received disturbing advice from actress Joan Cusack. "Oh honey, you should really quit the business, it's so image-conscious."

"I think she really, really meant it in a good way," said the woman who has won myriad best actress awards from film critics, "but I was like 'Oh, please don't tell me to quit my job!'"

As a Medifast Take Shape for Life health coach, I believe people are healthier when they achieve a higher level of fitness, but I don't equate being skinny with being happy. I love having my jeans fit without having to hold my breath when I zip them, but that doesn't mean I love myself more than I did when I was 35 pounds heavier.

Instead of being horrified by Gabourey Sidibe's large size, I am inspired by her large spirit. Earlier this year she put haters in their place after they tweeted mean comments about her appearance at the Golden Globe awards. "To people making mean comments about my GG pics I mos def cried about it on that private jet on my way to my dream job last night. #JK," she tweeted back.

Some of my best friends weigh more than I do, but they exude self-confidence because they love and accept who they. Numbers on a scale do not dictate their worth.

So change how you eat if you want to be healthier, but figure out how to love yourself first.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra 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 replacement meals on Amazon

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Ode to OPA Salad Dressing: Good Food Review in Bad Verse

Ode to OPA Salad Dressing

For many years I've searched to find
A salad dressing that would blow my mind
It had to be thick; creamy too,
And come in my favorite variety, blue

Cheese (that is)

Then Lighthouse introduced its OPA line
Of salad dressings so sublime
Not only do they taste home made
They're low in calories that aid

Weight gain (that is)

Greek-styled yogurt is the secret ingredient
Full of protein and so expedient
Just two tablespoons out of the jar
Only 60 calories and no sugar*

The evil white powder (that is)

So if you're looking for a salad dressing
That with your diet won't be messing
You'll find the OPA jars in the lettuce aisle
And henceforth eat salads with a smile

*rhymes with cigar

OPA salad dressing comes in four varieties: Caesar, Ranch, Feta Dill and Blue Cheese. So far I have tried the blue cheese and ranch and love them both. They are perfect guilt-free toppers for any salad and will forever have a home in my refrigerator.

Why You Should Shed Pounds Instead of Lose Weight

As a former hypnotherapist, one of the first things I learned was not to use the phrase "lose weight" because when we lose something we subconsciously try to find it again. Instead, we say "shed pounds" as if we are shedding our fat like dog fur (though, come to think of it, dogs do manage to grow that fur back).

I personally like to use the phrase "melt fat" and picture my body as a furnace that is melting my fat like candle wax.

What messages do you send yourself through the words you choose?

The point is that words matter when it comes to motivating ourselves to do something.

If you have trouble finding time to exercise, for instance, find time to play instead. When I was a kid, my mother never said, "Go out and exercise." She said "Go out and play." So even though that meant I was going to burn calories and build muscle by playing tag or kickball or riding my bicycle, I just thought I was having fun.

Even the phrase "go on a diet" can be self-defeating since it implies a diet is a carnival ride of which we will eventually get off. What happens then? Do we suddenly have license to eat every fattening food we see? "Changing our eating habits" is a far more permanent way to look at making different better food choices.

Medifst Ziti Marinara is one of my
favorite replacement meals.

Ironically, Medifast is a term that brings to mind an outmoded image of someone subsisting on protein shakes all day. Though the company started as an all-shakes diet, it has since morphed into a far more sophisticated program in which participants eat five replacement meals (of which shakes are only one option) and one lean & green meal consisting of lean protein and low-glycemic vegetables.

Take Shape for Life, on the other hand, implies a more holistic approach to taking control of one's life life by permanently changing our habits. Though many of us start the program merely hoping to fit into our skinny jeans, by the end of the journey we have gained a more profound awareness that the ultimate goal is optimal health.

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra 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 replacement meals on Amazon

Similar posts:

How Medifast Helped Me Develop Better Habits

Medifast Centers Vs. DIY Medifast

My Favorite Medifast Kitchen Gadgets

Medifast Vs. Lean Cuisine Diet