Hi,.

Don't panic! Things DO get better. I was about 60 pounds over weight about 3 months ago and had tried almost every "wonder drug" offered, to no avail. I like food!.

The best way I have found to beat the cravings is to drink more water! Not diet sodas, or flavored water, just good old H2O. The flavored waters and diet sodas cause a response, at least in me, that feels like hunger but not the water. The first 2 weeks of the Medifast diet were absolute torture for me and I had cravings like a starving person. I knew I wasn't, but I couldn't lose the feeling. Since that 2 week period the cravings, ocassionally still there, are not as severe or debilitating..

As to the coffee...I used to drink up to 15 cups a day! I drank it black, and still do, but that's a lot of coffee. I spent a combat tour in the Army and HAD to drink it black! Try to limit yourself to 2 cups a day, in the morning (or whenever your tour starts). It will take a while for the caffein level to drop, but it will happen..

I wish you success in this endeavor. You'll never regret this decision...but you will if you quit! Stay the course. Follow the diet as closely as you can and YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT!.

Good luck!..

I don't know what you got that you describe as "my own versions of medifast meals", but it might just be that you are not getting the same kind of nutrition. That can play a significant role in how you feel. There are a lot of "milkshakes", but they contain soy and are fairly well-balanced. And there are other foods as well - I have not seen such things on the market - soups, oatmeals, hot drinks, cold drinks, etc.

My advice is to practice drinking lots of water, and to practice measuring your meals as in the Lean and Green. If you want to supplement with other diet foods you find in the market, that is probably OK, as long as you adjust to the schedule of 5 and 1 and realize that it will be different when you get the real stuff.

The hardest part for me at the beginning was the small size of the meals. But after a while you will adjust and they won't seem so small. By the end of the day you will eventually feel full and saitisfied. Don't be so ready to quit when you have not yet tasted the Medifast foods...

Many of the diet products on the market (SlimFast, etc.) are high in carbs/sugars and that caused me to be ravenous...I would have been better off having nothing I think!.

I found the difficult part at first was weaning my body off of carbs and getting used to the small portions. But after several days of following the Medifast plan as described in the Quick Start Guide, those severe hunger pangs went away. I STILL have psychological cravings for foods that I can't have but with those I just have to say No.

Social events are hard...especially at first. It does get easier to turn away from the buffet table & goodies though as time goes by...I think seeing the weight drop off helps with that and helps to stay on plan. Plus from someone one has gone off plan, I've learned that just one little off plan goodie can negate the whole day's diet effort. Can't say I won't do it again, but I grew tired of working hard the whole day to follow the plan and then blow it by having a slice of pizza or piece of cheesecake.

Welcome to Medifast and best of luck on your weight loss journey. I would read (and re-read) your Quick Start Guide that comes with your first order (you can also download it here on MyMF) and follow the plan as it is written. And the boards are here which is great for support or questions. Once you start on the plan I'm sure many of the posts here will make a lot more sense to you...and you'll probably have more questions & comments too!..

Thanks for your comments! After going to bed and getting up to a new day I feel like a dork for even sending out a message. I am sorry if I annoyed anyone. I can do this, this time. I WILL do this, this time!..

"annoyed anyone?".

Shucks, you're just an amateur at that compared to me..

Enjoy your coffee. It is not a no no. I drink mine with 1/2 and 1/2. Just log it and drink it in moderation and not instead of the 8 glasses of water...

HAHAHAHHAA!!! That made me laugh.....

I don't see anything that you wrote to annoy anyone. I think the problem is, your not in Ketosis, the products you bought aren't going to give you the results like Medifast will. Medifast is a perfect balance of what your body needs and when you get your stuff (hopefully soon) you'll see!!! Good luck to you and welcome!..