Good question... I dunno what is the right answer. I'll do some Googling and get back to you if I find an decent answer. You should email the people at Medifast as they probably could give you help..

It also depends on how true you stay on program. I lost 40 pounds in a matter of 2 and a half months, but then I had three vacations planned, and fell off the Medifast plan..

My advice is : Journal! write everything down what you eat, how you feel your successes ect. That way when you get yourself into trouble, you can look back and see your triggers. By doing this I learned Popcorn was one of my trigger foods..

Good luck!..

I'm just shy of 4 months on Medifast (will be 4 months on Sat weigh in) and I've lost 67 pounds sa far. I have a lot to lose, so I've been averaging about 4 pounds a week, although it's higher some weeks and low others (darn that TOM). In 2008, it took me about 6 months to lose 100 pounds (yes, I have a huge amount to lose in total). The key is to stick with the plan and see how it goes. Every body is different and some people lose faster or slower just like some people drink that cranberry mango Medifast (OMG I was sooo sad through.

That.

Box)..

My goal is to be 160 for my 40th Birthday (Oct 2011). But I set mini goals along the way (so I can have presents.

)..

Good Luck!.

Emma..

I don't like to put time frames on weight-loss, everyone is so different..

But, it took me, I think 6 months to lose 100 lbs..

If you follow the plan 100% You won't have any problems. Weigh and measure your food and eat all the food recommended. Have 5&1 a day and the program will do the rest..

You can do this, If I can, YOU can!.

Welcome and Good Luck to you. Dan..

Thanks guys/girls! I appreciate the feedback..

Do you think that doing all shakes helps the weight come off faster?.

I know, I know- sigh- it is just so hard to wait...

I say this with COMPLETE confidence in your ability to get to your ultimate goal, and all the well-intention in my heart - the goals you have in your signature are extremely ambitious. And by extremely ambitious, I mean... setting yourself up for disappointment. 30 lbs in July?? Please recalibrate..

Please please please step back and think about what you want, not when you want it. ((hugs)) We will all get to goal if we stay OP. We can't control when that is though, all we can control is our behavior. Setting unrealistic expectations or limiting ourselves so severely sets us up to be disappointed rather than celebrating our success..

I wouldn't go shakes for all 5 Medifast meals, personally. I don't think it will make a big enough impact to be worth the restriction...

Great advice Kurz. I'm learning so much by reading all these different threads. I too, want to lose this weight as quickly as possible. But I recognize, that I just have to stay on plan, and the weight will come off...whatever the time frame it takes. Thanks for the reminder...

I started this plan with the goal of losing 110 - financially we committed to 16-18 months to allow for T&M. I have 16 pounds to go and have been chasing that 16 for a month - couple of trips and a planned full week off plan. I needed a break, I made really good choices and came home and was back 100%..

My goals did not include time frames, I have good months, so-so months and just plugging along months. That is okay, I have learned so much about myself, my habits, my strengths and triggers. This is a journey, a life long all changing journey, if it takes me a year or a year and a half to undo the damage of 44 years then so be it. I would much rather reach the finish line in my own time than quit between the check points because I didn't get to one fast enough...

It takes as long as it takes!!.

That is the sad truth, but the really good news is it doesn't take as long on Medifast as it does on other diets, in fact for me I've never ever lost 100 pounds, and it is just WOW, and for the record it took me 41 weeks..

One of the big things I've learned though is this is not a race, if you stay OP that's all you can do, you can't make your body give up the weight. It's not about losing the weight, it's about learning how to stay slim in the future as well, so sometimes I think that slow and steady is more likely to win the real prize..

Be On Plan, stay On Plan, it's that easy, just enjoy and celebrate every pound lost, and don't worry about time frames...

I agree with everyone else's advice, stick to the plan and you will lose 100 pounds. It may be 6 months, it may be 12, but it will come off.

I personally drink shakes on a veerryyyy limited basis, I do mainly bars pretzels and brownies, and I have averaged almost 5 pounds/week since starting. So enjoy what you like, it'll make you more likely to stick with in the future!!.

GOOD LUCK!..

Thank you all for the great advice and support. I will reevaluate my goals...

I can assure you that trying to lose 92 pounds in 2 months is not doable. Even people with gastric bypass don't drop 46 pounds a month. It is unrealistic and utterly unhealthy. Medifast says you can lose 4 pounds a week... but that is usually with people who are pretty heavy and it slows down a lot closer to weight. In reality, more than 4 pounds a week is not healthy.

IF you stick 100 percent to plan, you could possibly lose closer to 30 to 35 pounds, but not 92..

Don't set yourself up for failure. Read the materials, look at the successful folks who LOST 100 pounds and see how slow it was for them. Set realistic goals. If you exceed those, great... but 92 pounds by August is simply unhealthy and unrealistic...

Thanks Everyone for such inspiring advice! I too have 100+ to lose and a perfect result would be to do so by my birthday at the end of January ( about 36 weeks) but trying to be perfect has failed me so many times before so I will be happy to reach & celebrate smaller milestones along the journey!.

From mamacatnv: My goals did not include time frames, I have good months, so-so months and just plugging along months. That is okay, I have learned so much about myself, my habits, my strengths and triggers..

Ok so when you fell offf plan in the so- so or just plugging along months, can you give some examples of what happened & what you fell off with eating? I am struggling already not do to cravings but to really being hungry. So far this week, I've added an extra Medifast each day just trying to curb the hunger.

Help, ideas?????..

Every thing I have done on this plan has been planned ahead of time. I started in Sept 2009 and was 100% on plan until the 26th of December. There had been a few times that I had added a bit of extra protein to my day but by and large I was on plan..

I think to be successful you have to really want this and your head really has to be in the right place. You have to be ready to deny yourself, your cravings etc and find ways to deal with them. Walk, clean, sort laundy, make a bed, go shopping whatever but you have to get yourself under control.

On Dec. 26th we left for a family trip to San Francisco and surrounding areas. We were headed to an amusement park and 2 days in the city. It was cold and rainy and I was miserably cold. There was no way I was going to survive 5 days of this. So I ate, I didn't go crazy, I concentrated on protein, limited fat and carbs but I did increase my calories.

Of peanut butter. Mid morning I added a small apple to my bar, lunch I had a salad with chicken, mid afternoon I added some cashews and almonds to my shake, dinner was a steak salad. So as you can see, certainly more calories and carbs but we walked for 5 days. The result was a 5# gain. Took me an entire week to lose those 5#'s and then almost another week to start steadily losing again..

In February 4 day trip with a lot of activity in the Pacific NW - again cold and wet..

In March back to San Francisco for 5 solid days of walking, we were literally walking 10 hours a day. I self altered my plan and the result was about the same, a 9# gain..

April, LOL back to the Pacific NW for a Mom/Daughter weekend (5 days) and again I knew ahead and went off plan. Last weekend was camping, I stayed about 80% OP and added an additional L&G meal to my day..

Also, when traveling I do not drink my water like I do at home. When playing tourist finding a potty every 20 minutes is not a reasonable expectation and was not something I was willing to deal with..

The result has been a slow spring but thats okay, every trip and I was back 100% OP the day we got home..

I was whining to my Aunt when I was in Portland a few weeks ago that "I hadn't learned a thing" and she laughed then sat me down and pointed out a whole bunch of things she had noticed in the 5 days I was there. I guess I have learned a few things.

I went to the store and returned with groceries. One morning I made a veggie and egg scramble where in the past I would have made bacon, eggs and hashbrowns..

I measured out a serving of almonds in the kitchen and then took them to the table to munch instead of blindly munching..

I drank tons of water.

I went out for a walk 1-2 times per day every day I was there.

I mixed my vodka with diet tonic LOL yes I did!.

We went out for Chinese and I ordered 1 item, no rice, lots of veggies.

We went out for crepes and I ordered chicken & spinach with no sauce and did not finish what was on my plate..

Her list went on and on and the really cool thing was that I had not been doing these things consciously they have become habits!.

To me this is not just about losing the weight, this is about losing an old lifestyle and gaining a new one, a new healthy lifestyle in which I can travel and live day to day slimmer and healthier..

Before someone comes along and spanks me, let me add that Medifast does not condone the going off of plan or adjusting things on a whim, this was my decision and mine alone..

I also have 100+ to lose and so I was quite interest in all your posts on this thread..

Think confusion is VLCD of Medifast does not allow exercise initially. I am so lightheaded and dizzy I can hardly move. I have not been able to make it on only 5 & 1 YET - I have been average 6-7 per day (but I also go from 4am - 10/11pm) I can't imagine how I would be if I tried to work out on such ltd cals a day they give us. The only way to burn more fat off would be to exercise more and at this newbie stage I don't see myself doing that for awhile yet. I have done other programs before but never with such severe restrictions. I can't see the weight melting off as fast as she expects. But I wish it would!!! From your lips to Gds ears baby!..

You might want to consider 4 & 2 for a while. I go back and forth between 5 &1 and 4 & 2 depending on how long my day is and how I am feeling. Or I just add a bit of protein. And I think there is good reason to believe that varying the caloric intake every few days is a good way to keep from going into starvation mode in which your body shuts down your metabolism..

I have found that munching on some celery with 2 tbsp. of salsa is a great snack, very low calorie, and satisfies my munchies. Or, if it's not too warm, hot tea helps with that hunger. Water works, too, but the tea tastes better and works better for me...

I have over 100 pounds to lose..

At times it just seems overwhelming -.

But after reading these messages I realize we are all in it together..

I'm not the only one on this journey!.

I have set small goals and tried to stick to the plan..

Try a new recipe or a different combination of meals each week..

After 3 months ...down 40 pounds .... and I'm thrilled..

Wish it was more but it is what it is..

Hang in there and.

Come back to the forum as often as you need... There is always a good idea to pick up!..

I have been on Medifast a little over 2 weeks now. I started with approximately 100 lbs to lose and I was thinking about how long this process would take, trying to count everything out to the milisecond..

I started reading blogs of MFers who have lost 100+ pounds and realized that these people stayed on plan no matter what and they accepted each scale movement as it was including the weeks of no loss and slight gains (this is not to say people that have lost less than 100lbs didnt do the same!).

My point is, if you stay OP you will lose the weight no matter what, however long it takes. Just stay the course and don't get discouraged because of the bloody scale...