Anyone doing Medifast diet with the Band?

[sadie11 2]

I was just filled on Friday and I am tight! On the way home, I was considering turning around and going back for a small unfill. I was thinking" Gee all I'll be able to eat is a liquid diet" And bang! it came to me- what a great time to go back on Medifast. Perfect!

I should also mention that I was wicked stalled with the band and not losing so I needed to do something.

My band loosened up a little bit so I can eat just a little bit but I'm still doing the Medifast. Best diet I was ever on but of course, I gained back all the weight before my Band. As I have with every other diet but Medifast was very fast and pretty easy for me. I hardly ever hit a plateau.

It is so much easier to do Medifast with the band- I am never hungry and sip the Protein Shakes all day. Medifast is brutal without the band I think. I did it but I suffered and now I'm not suffering. In fact it's easier than trying to get stuff past the band.

Medifast is the only Protein shake I like- everything else gags me. I love the Medifast bars too- they go down even if I am tight.

I was wondering if anyone else is on Medifast. I have lost 4 pounds since Friday- Yea! It's working. On my way to goal.

Love and success on your journey-:tounge_smile:

Sadie

Edited December 21, 2008 by sadie11

[Jodi_620 37]

That type of diet is against my surgeons rules. I was told that I have to eat solid meals or I am just defeating the purpose of having the band.

I think the key is getting yourself to the right restriction then following the rules and letting the band do its job.

[sadie11 2]

That type of diet is against my surgeons rules. I was told that I have to eat solid meals or I am just defeating the purpose of having the band.

I think the key is getting yourself to the right restriction then following the rules and letting the band do its job.

Isn't the real purpose of the band to lose weight?

My Dr. said it's okay- lose it anyway you can if it's healthy.

Sadie

[Jodi_620 37]

That isn't the whole purpose for me. I've lost my weight at least a half a dozen times before I got the band. I did it with Medifast, Slim Fast, Jenny Craig, South Beach etc., etc. I would lose the weight, go off the program and gain it back plus some. The "real purpose" of the band was to find something I could do for life so that I could stick with it , lose weight and keep it off. I could have done the Medifast alone and saved myself and insurance $17.5K.

I got the Lap Band so that I wouldn't have to do those diets anymore. With the Lap Band I eat real food, I don't count calories, fat grams, carb grams, I don't weigh, measure or keep a food diary and I have lost 71 ponds and counting...THAT is my idea of the purpose of the band...I can definitely do this for life.

The whole deal with the band is to get to restriction so you can eat three solid meals a day and the restriction keeps that food in your pouch for hours so that you are not hungry till your next meal. If you have ever had a fill under fluoro, you know that liquids pass right through the band thus a liquid diet defeats the whole purpose of paying a lot of money and putting yourself through surgery. When used properly, the band will train you to eat right but you have to actually eat food in order to learn.

Edited December 22, 2008 by Jodi_620

[sadie11 2]

I'm not sure why you responded to my question but I'm glad your method is working for you.

[Jodi_620 37]

I apoligize, I won't respond to any more of your posts...this is an open forum where we can (usually) share our ideas whether we agree or not I shared what I was told about not eating around the band apparently my opinion is not welcome in your thread so I will unsubscribe to this one and move on.

[V-Queen 0]

I will say ...that if you and your doctor think this will work to get you to goal great....but you will have to eat real food eventually...the thought of going back to medifast has crossed my mind too. Simply because its easy I HATE making food:wink_smile: I know that learning to eat is something I need to practice in order to keep me healthy even after I reach goal.

Now saying that.... The tone and attitude that came across on Jodie's posts was completly unaccepptable... and when someone is feeling frustrated with their wieght loss, has a question about a technique that might work or has worked.It is not O.K. to beat them up about it or make them feel guilty because she may or maynot know as much information as you clearly do......It's not really what you said persay but HOW. HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!

Edited December 23, 2008 by V-Queen

[Jodi_620 37]

OK Queen, I don't get it...could you kindly point out where I Beat her up or said something to make her feel guilty about her post? Really, what did I do wrong? I read it over and I just can't see where you think my posts were completely unacceptable.

I got a little short in the end but it had nothing to do with her decision to use Medifast nor did it have anything to do with her knowledge of the band, it was because she seemed to say that because I didn't think her Medifast was the way to go that I should not have responded to her thread at all...In my opinion that is not how discussion boards work.

[health4life 0]

I did the 2 week pre op medifast diet and there is no way in hell I would go back on that nasty diet. That is the grossest food ever. I can tolerate the Protein Shakes and the pudding but the rest is horrible! I will stick with weight watchers or lean cuisine if I must have a quick meal. I have lost a total of 35 lbs since my pre op diet.

[Jachut 487]

I can see both points of view here.

Firstly, I thought ick, why? Because I agree with Jodie, that's not what the band is for.

But then, if you're that tight (which is really too tight) and you'd rather do Medifast for a period of a few weeks and lose a bit and loosen up, rather than have an unfill, why on earth not? Why muck around with your band filling and unfilling. At least you will have some reasonable nourishment and a bit of fast weight loss. Believe me, I've thought of going REALLY tight and doing this just to get that last 10lb off but I suspect that when I finished, unfilled and began to eat again, I'd regain EVEN with a band.

Because the trouble with Medifast and Optifast is that it's not healthy weight loss. Those super low carb diets cause a LOT of Water weight loss as your body depletes itself of glycogen and you DO lose muscle as well on them. When you eat again and rehydrate you're quite likely to see rebound weight gain on the scale. Its arguable that you'd lose just as much fat by doing a more moderate diet of solid food, but avoiding the huge Water loss factor.

Heck, this is even why people fail to lose in the first few weeks after surgery - they come off this diet. The fact that they're on a liquid post op diet is enough to prevent great regain, but for many people they think why arent I losing? Reason being, you've already depleted your body entirely by the pre op diet and once you start putting carbs back in - as you do with the varied liquids you can have post op, bang, weight loss stops or goes in the opposite direction. Fat loss is probably continuing but the fake readings the scale was giving you are evening out.

And I think this ooh good I'm tight I'll starve myself and loose tons of weight attitude is best left in our old pre band lives. This is a lifestyle, for keeps now.

But really, nothing is going to hurt you for a short period of time. And Im not bashing because I can understand exactly why you would think of it. I did to, what I've just said is more the reasons why I talked myself out of it, not that I dont think you should do it.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Jachut

[sandra267 0]

IMHO, medifast/optifast is something that is hard to stay on. If you have the band than it would help you stay on it. I might be doing the medifast because I love to just pick up something and go and isn't it high in Protein? I have issuses with thining hair. I will not be doing medifast for the rest of my life. After awhile on medifast don't you slowly intro. other foods. When you go off of medifast the band will help you in your maintence phase. I have an upcoming surgery so I can't do anything until February.

Sadie, where are you ordering your medifast from?

[sandra267 0]

I found the site. Thanks