WEEK 12 - A Look Back In Time With A Healthy Move Forward Wow, it’s here the last day of the Medifast Mother-Daughter Challenge. I would be lying to you if I told you that I was not scared and afraid. I think I have been pondering this day for almost 4 weeks wondering what to do once this is over. And to be honest I really don’t have a clue. But my co-workers have told me Oh girl, just eat healthy you know how to do it now and do all things in moderation, I have to say that, that is more easy said than done.

Okay so I guess this is the time where I should be picking my brain trying to think of things to tell you so that you can vote for us. But it’s just that I am not really that good about getting people to do things for me, like for instance voting for us. I guess that is why I chickened out in school and didn’t run for class president or homecoming queen or other things because I didn’t like pushing people to do anything. (Trust me I would definitely suck as a salesman) but I felt like I would put my name on the ballot and if they voted they voted and if they didn’t they didn’t. And as you can see I am still like that. So please forgive me. But I will tell you how the Medifast Program has changed me and my mom’s life; so as I sit here I am just thinking about how all of this came about.

About 5 months ago my mom went on an attempt to try and lose weight by taking these harmful diet pills that she had purchased. They were affecting her breathing and her heart. My mom had always had a problem with her weight but I noticed that the older she got the more problems she was beginning to have concerning her weight. This bothered me immensely, so one day I just decided that I was going to do something about my mom’s weight issue. I learned about Medifast when she was in the hospital suffering from congested heart failure about a year ago, the infomercial just popped up on the T.V. Well I checked out the website and was impressed so I said what the heck, I used my bill money to purchase her the first two week supply. She was so overjoyed by this and I was too. I began to talk with my sisters to see if we could pull together and get her the other two weeks and the rest I thought would just take care of itself. Well with little or no response from them on this matter I was now at a crossroads and was wondering what I should do and I definitely could not let another bill go. So I got on the Medifast website to check out the prices again to see if maybe I could squeeze out another payment somewhere and that is when I seen the Medifast Mother-Daughter Challenge ad. I was amazed because no one knew how I was feeling but God himself.

So I read it and it was everything that I was wanting for my mom; and me just having a baby at the time 3 months earlier I had to lose some unwanted weight myself. But the words Healthy Makeover stuck in my mind along with the fact that if picked you would get 3 months of free Medifast food!! I began to pray and ask the Lord to guide me in what to write because there was so many things I wanted to say, I and mama needed this badly and so the rest as they would say is history. We got the call that we were one of the teams that was picked out of 60. I was so floored I know my neighbors must have thought I had lost my mind because when I heard about it I just screamed and began to thank God because I honestly did not know how I was going to get the food for my mom to continue the Medifast Program. God had made a way for me with an added bonus. I can get healthy right along with her.

This journey, and this whole experience has been a blessing for us both. So I have to ask "What determines a Winner?" The thesaurus states that it is a conqueror, a victor, someone who finishes first. I am not gonna write to tell you to vote for us because you can if you want, but I am writing to tell you that me and mom are already winners. Together we have lost a total of 76 pounds. And my mom has been able to wear shirts out of the store, something she has not been able to do for 20+ years. For deciding to do something about our weight issue and actually sticking to the plan and achieving that goal we are already declared winners in our own right.

Me and mom have had a blast being on the Medifast Program. We had some challenges and some ups and downs during this 12-week Journey but we overcame them. And even though this is the end of the road for us, we are still going to keep the things and the discipline that we learned through this program about food and the choices that we make with it count for the rest of our lives. Where our future was once bleak because of our poor food choices and bad eating habits our future is now bright and full of hope. We now know how to eat smaller portions and we are able to make good eating habits. This is something that has passed on to my sister whom is now watching her food intake and is trying to jump on board with us in eating healthier meals. This habit will also pass on to my children and it will also pass on to their children as well. I feel like the generational curse of bad eating and emotional eating that rode our family for years has finally been broken for good. And for that I am forever grateful to God and Medifast for giving us this opportunity to change our lives for the betterment of our loved ones.

Thank You Medifast from the bottom of our hearts; what you have done for us goes beyond words. We are so grateful to have had this opportunity. Thank You to everyone that has either responded to or read our blogs or even voted for us every week. We hope that something was said to help you or maybe encourage you on your journey to being healthy. We wish everyone the best of Luck. And thanks again for listening to us every week. Until then Be Blessed. Oh, and if you want to vote for us you may do so if you please.

WEEK 11 - I am back, I am back. The vacation was wonderful, me and my hubby were happy and relaxed. The weather was not so great a really bad thunderstorm came through and brought a lot of high winds and a tornado warning. So the weather was not so nice to us but we still had a great time. Even if it was on the inside.

I did get a chance to tell everyone I knew about the Medifast Program and its products and how I lost so much weight with it. So hopefully Medifast get some new customers. I was happy to come home and see that I had a new shipment waiting for me. I was happy about that.

Well this week I lost another 3 pounds and that was while I was on vacation, so that goes to show that this can be done no matter where you are. You know I am so happy about the Medifast Program because I do not have to worry about eating big meals. I can do something simple like a shake or some soup and be content with just that. That's the fun thing about being on this program.

Well this is the last week for us and this challenge so I am hoping to go out with a bang. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Have a good one.

WEEK 10 - Vacation Time
Hello All, well this week is me and hubby week. We are going on a vacation for a couple of days. I can’t wait. I am so happy to be getting out and getting some fresh air outside of the house. This is something that we normally do every couple of months or so once his vacation builds up.

Yes, I will be on plan the whole time while we are away. I was kind of hesitant at first about going away because I had never been away with my Medifast products before. But I am confident that I will do really well. Seeing the other Mother-Daughter teams go away and still stay on plan has been a motivator for me.

Well, this week I lost 3 pounds . . . now that is something. Those workout tapes have been helping a lot. I guess it is true what they say, exercise and eating right go hand in hand. Being able to actually do the exercises has been really great for me. I can tell that I don’t get out of breath easily, which was a problem for me at first with exercising.

But I am really looking forward to seeing new sites and having a good time away. Also, this will give me a chance to spread the word about Medifast. Not that I was not doing it at first, but spreading the word outside the community will be an extra treat. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

WEEK 9 - Yippee!!!
Okay, I lost almost three pounds. Yippee I am so happy. I had a joyous week exercising and walking away the pounds with Leslie. I worked hard and with that hard work it produced great results. I got on the scale and was astonished.

The weeks are going by so quick. It seems like it was just yesterday when we started this journey and now I am 35 pounds or so down. WOW is all I can say. Well you all have a great week until next time. I'll be talking with ya.

WEEK 8 - Totally Confused
Well it's been a real ride this past week. No pounds lost. At first I was so totally confused, I’m doing everything I should be doing. But then I have to keep in mind, I am definitely losing inches. My clothes are so long on me now until I trip over them. I’ve always thought I was a tall person anyway. But they are so loose on me. I am constantly now making new outfits. But smaller ones. That's so funny to say: "Smaller Ones."

Roshonda bought me a walking tape, I just got it last Wednesday. It's really good. I did not get a chance to workout Saturday; and Sunday is definitely not a good day for me. But I am going to be working out to it all this week. It's a one mile and a two mile tape. I just pace myself and do it. It's amazing how you can walk in your own home without leaving it. The weather here has been so unpredictable. From Hot to Rain to Cool. Mother Nature is just giving us some real surprises here. So I am glad to be able to exercise in the house.

Well I am going to continue with the walks. Hopefully this week I can have a 3 pound loss. I know I set a goal last week and didn’t make it. But this week I am going to push like never before. It is On. Have a Blessed and Safe Week Everyone.

WEEK 7 - I Am A Real Celebrity
Okay so last week was a good week for me. Out of the Blue the Sun Journal (the local newspaper here in New Bern, North Carolina) wanted to do a story on Roshonda and I because they heard about the Mother-Daughter Challenge we were participating in. That went over really well and we both were really excited to be getting the word out about Medifast. There are a lot of people here in our town that has never heard about it. So it gave me great pleasure to be able to talk about the program.

Last week was good, I kept on schedule with my food and I even did a little exercise. I would have liked to have lost a little more weight, but that's okay. All I don't lose in weight I am losing in inches and that is more important. However I am going to push even harder next week, I want to shoot for 3 pounds, let's see what happens.

I can’t believe that it has already been 7 weeks on this program. It seems like it was yesterday that I got started with it. The weeks have definitely gone by very quick. But I know soon it will be over and that is the sad part. But I am glad that I am able to get a healthy start no matter what happens. You all have a terrific week. Until next time, I’ll be talking with you all soon.

WEEK 6 - Confession is good for the Soul
Alright I know what you may be thinking . . . she was doing so well. How could this have happened? Easily, I got depressed, felt unmotivated, and went off plan for a couple of days. Of course this can happen. I am just going to tell it like it is. I was disgusted. I was feeling frustrated. Ever since I can remember I have always been locked in this house. My Husband goes to work, my youngest daughter goes to work and here I am all alone, no one to talk too, no one to come and pick me up and take me places. Just here in the house day in and day out with nothing to do. I could sew because that is my favorite hobby, but even that gets boring sometimes. I could talk on the phone and I do . . . I call Roshonda and she takes time out of her schedule to talk to me all the time. But she has work to do as well, I don't want to get her fired. So thinking about all of this and this situation I just binged. I know there is no excuse for what I did and I am not trying to make up one . . . I just got sad, depressed, and binged. Of course I paid for this, 7 pounds gained back is not something to be proud of. Especially after losing 33 pounds in the beginning.

I was reluctant to talk about this and did not want to share this at all. But the Bible say that Confession is good for the Soul. So I had to say something. I did not even tell my daughter Roshonda because I thought that she would have been disappointed in me and I did not want to let her down. After all it was her that wrote to the challenge because she knew we needed help . . . and here we are in the challenge and I blew it. But to my surprise she was not upset. She encouraged me and helped me along. Letting me know that everything would be okay. So here I am back on the Medifast wagon starting over again. Those 7 pounds were a wake up call to me. For so long I have wanted to lose the weight and to get down in the dumps and turn to food, I know that was a big mistake. After all you can't eat your problems away and that is something that I always tried to do and that is what got me in the shape that I am in today. But everyone makes mistakes and this was my mistake. I have learned my lesson and from this day forward, no more eating out of depression. As far as staying in the house, I will try to do things different. If I have to pass out flyers to initiate friendship that is what I will have to do.

I also thank the Medifast Community for listening to me during this time. I got so many positive responses until it really made me cry. I do not blog much because my typing is horrible, I actually type one letter at a time . . . HA HA . . . I just learned how to use the computer at 38. I just have not accomplished the typing. However I have gotten a little better. Roshonda, God bless her types my journal entries for me. I let her know what I want to say and she types away. But I am still moving forward. This bump in the road is not going to stop me . . . I am going to keep on trucking, my journey has not ended. Maybe slowed down but definitely in full swing. Have a marvelous weekend everyone.

WEEK 5 - Where is the Love!
Okay where is the Love here, have I been bamboozled? My weight is definitely playing love games with me. One pound last week and now this week no pounds lost. He was giving me such pleasure the first 3 weeks and now it's like he's angry with me or something. Oh the shame of it. But anyway life does go on . . . and I must move forward.

Someone said that if you do not lose weight then you are losing inches, which must be a true statement. I say that because the picture of me in the shirt is the first time in over 20 yrs that I have worn . . . I guess you can say "civilian" clothes? I have always made my own clothes because I could not wear anything in the stores. And for the first time in my life I am wearing something that I did not make by hand or sew by machine. I was overjoyed when I put it on, it felt funny to me but I felt good about having it on. Being able to wear that shirt was so wonderful. I wanted to wear it all day and to church on today just to show people what I looked like in something else other than something hand-made. I mean don't get me wrong, I love making clothes on my hands and wearing something that I know I would not see someone else in. But this was a treat for me. That is a gift that God gave me along time ago. It started in school in my Home Economics Class and I just never gave it up. When my girls were small I remember making them clothes to wear to school . . . this was especially a blessing when I did not have the money to buy them any. I even made my daughter’s prom dress for her prom. So sewing has been a part of my life for over 20 yrs and while it is something that I truly enjoy . . . being in something that I did not make and could actually fit was the best joy of all.

I have to say when I first started this Medifast Journey I was skeptical. I had tried for so many years to lose weight and failed at all attempts. So I did not think that Medifast would work for someone like me. But I can say honestly that it has worked for me. I can walk now without giving out of breath and it's getting better for me each day. Today I had to minister at church and I felt good about it. I was able to come from behind the pulpit and actually speak to God's people. I stayed behind the pulpit or sat down when it was my time to minister because I either could not stand for a long period of time or I gave out of breath so easily . . . so I had to sit down before the Lord could even use me good. But today was different. I stood up, I walked, I talked and I prayed for the people. I had energy beyond compare and God moved in the building on today.

This journey for me has not been easy. Life is not easy . . . you have your good days and your bad days but you have to keep moving forward despite it all; that is where true Success lies in moving Forward not Backward. And I have to say that the signs on this Medifast Journey are all pointing to SUCCESS. I got some pieces of it along the way and I know if I keep moving forward there are greater things in store for me. Have a blessed week everyone.

WEEK 4
Well as you can see I lost 1 pound, I guess that is to be expected after losing 33 pounds. Hey I cried but I am okay now. I am continuing with my walks.

My Diabetes since I have been on Medifast has been wonderful but it has been in the low 60's. I went to my doctor and he suggested that I increase my calories, so after that I called Medifast Nutrition Support to find out what should I do. So it was suggested that I do the 4 & 2 Plan. I was disappointed but I was okay, I am still encouraged and my daughter has been a big supporter of me and my efforts to stay on the program, so that has been a motivator for me throughout.

I had a good week last week though despite the news I received. I have to say that I did go to Wal-Mart which is my favorite store in the world. Every time I go to Wal-Mart I always use the carts because I could not walk around the store without stopping to catch my breath. I have to say that I walked in there last week and did not use the cart this time. I used the shopping cart and walked . . . YES!! I WALKED (without losing one single breath). I was so shocked and surprised, if I could I would have broken down and did a dance. This made me so Happy and Overjoyed, I was indeed proud of myself. My Husband whom was with me to witness this miracle was happy for me too.

I knew at that moment that Medifast was really working miracles in my Life. I am Overjoyed, the feeling that I have is so indescribable. You may hear me say that again and again throughout this program. But if you only knew how long I have struggled to lose weight or even to just be able to not use the sitting cart when I go places. It is truly amazing to me. I finally feel like the pieces of the puzzle are coming together for me. Even though there are a lot of pieces to still put together. I know if I keep this up the rest of the puzzle pieces will surely come together.

WEEK 3
Hey Gals and Guys, I have to tell ya last week was wonderful for me. I actually walked around my house . . . yes, my house. I was so shocked and amazed that I was able to do that. I have not been able to walk around my house since I moved here 3yrs ago. I could not even tell you what was in the backyard. But to be able to walk around the house was a big deal for me.

Right now I am trying to join Curves. I have been able to keep a pedometer on my side so that way when I walk I could count my steps. It actually makes me want to walk a lot more, knowing that my steps are going to be accounted for.

I would have to say that since being on Medifast I have been totally blessed, I do not have cravings for my usual treats of chips, candies, or other sweets. If I do get these cravings, I bought me some pop-sickle trays so that I can freeze my shakes, I add a little Crystal Light and Splenda and Wa-Lah . . . I have a cure for my sweet cravings.

I can honestly say that my mind is changing. I can ride past the local Burger Joints, Bojangles, and Sonic without panicking. Every time I feel like I want to tell my husband to pull over, I just shut my eyes and imagine what my life was like before Medifast and the pain that I was constantly in and facing on a day to day basis because of my bad eating habits and my size. And I say to myself this is worth it and I will press forward.

Plus I have ladies at my church who are on the heavy side. I also think about them when I want to cheat. I believe everyone needs a role model in their life and I want to be a role model to them, if I fail then I will fail them. I want them to see that if I can do it, so can they. For over 20 yrs I have given in to my body letting it lead and guide me on a day to day basis of what I should eat. Now I feel like I am in control for the first time in my life and it feels sooooooooo good. This week I may even try to walk down the road. I really really really feel so good, and to go to the doctors office every week and continue to see the weight dropping off is a true motivator for me. I go back to see my doctor in August, he is not going to believe it. I am truly confident in myself now, I am moving forward and not looking back, I will not be a prisoner of my past. I have 2 grandchildren that need a healthy grandmother and I am going to give them just that.

WEEK 2
Going into the second week was a lot better that last week. After losing 13 pounds I was on cloud nine. I knew that I wanted to lose weight but I had no idea I would lose that much. I feel so good about myself. I can honestly say that I am very proud of myself for sticking with this. I can already see changes in my clothes, my attitude, and my life in general. I had a couple of teasers last week but through it all I can honestly say that I made it. 

I plan to add some exercise to my Medifast routine this week, so that should be challenging, but I am ready for it. The more I keep going to the doctor every week to weigh myself and see that I have lost more weight it keeps me motivated to continue with this program and continue moving forward.

It has not been easy – it has definitely been hard for me and I know that all of this weight is not going to come off overnight I know that I have to work on it.

Another motivating factor for me has been the Blogs . . . you never should feel alone like you are in this by yourself because there is always someone in the Blogs who has either been where you have been or is going through what you have been going through. It has definitely been a help to me to read some of the Blogs and to also get responses to some of the Blogs that I have written, you get so much support and motivation. If it was not for the Blogs then I do not know if I would have made it this far.

I am definitely looking forward to this week. I can't wait to see what the scales will reveal. I am going all the way and there is no stopping me.

WEEK 1
We are definitely excited—this is the most weight my mom has lost in years on any diet so she is definitely grateful. Even though it has been only a week, she is able to get up and down and walk a little further distance without losing breath or having to sit down before she could get up. Now instead of telling someone to walk to the mailbox and retrieve the mail, she is walking to the mailbox herself!!!! This is definitely something that she was not able to do before Medifast. I am so proud of my mom b/c today the pastor at our church had a celebration dinner for the High School graduates and the food smelled so good. But Mama brought her shaker cup, shake, and water and had that instead. She did not give in to the temptation and for this she was so proud of herself b/c normally she would have broken down and said, "Oh this won't hurt me." But I am telling you that for my mom to do this . . . it almost brought tears to my eyes b/c I know what she would have done before . . . and that let me know that she is serious about Medifast and is sticking to the plan no matter what. The week was rough for her in the beginning and there were times where she did not think she could do it. But she stuck with it anyhow and now . . . there's no stopping her.

For me Medifast in the first week was very challenging. I work with a lot of ladies who love to eat and can cook very well . . . so there were some temptations but every time I thought about where I am now and what I want to accomplish with this program, I resisted the temptation. My energy is through the roof. On Sundays I'm usually a little jet lagged, tired, and worn down and this is before I even step a foot out of bed. But this Sunday I woke up at 7:00am and started moving about—I could not believe this was actually me doing all of this and I even made it to Sunday School (something I usually miss). Like my mom, I thought the graduation dinner looked so good. But I brought my Lean & Green Meal with me and my water and ate that. I have to tell you that afterwards I felt so proud of myself b/c just like my mother I would have given in to temptation before but I resisted and had no regrets about doing it either. I have to say though I did cry this week on the program, not b/c I was hungry or sad but b/c I was happy. Last Thursday was the first time in over a year that I was able to go outside and play with my child. We played kickball . . . and I felt so good about doing it I immediately realized that this was the mother that she deserved to have. Before, I would be too tired to go out and play with her or I would just take a comfortable position in front of the television until bedtime. But last week I honestly cannot tell you how many times I sat down in front of the television. That is just how much energy I actually had. My son is 6 months old so with Medifast I know that by the time he gets to be walking age, Mommy will be physically ready to take him on too.

With Medifast there is no stopping us now b/c "WE'RE ON THE MOVE"!

Background

Carolyn’s daughter Roshonda says her mother is full of life and has so much love in her heart and spirit it’s almost unimaginable. Roshonda remembers watching her mother make her own clothes by hand and as she got older Roshonda came to understand that her mother had issues with her weight and didn’t feel comfortable buying clothes from the store. Carolyn has 4 life goals and she’s already accomplished the first 3.

Cheer Carolyn on as she begins her journey to accomplishing her most important life goal - to achieve healthy, lasting weight loss so she can actually buy a dress from a store.

Roshonda is the mother of 2 young children and between her job and her family Roshonda just doesn’t have time to take care of herself. Roshonda wants to be a healthy mom for her children and she wants to set a good example for them now because she believes that good habits and good behavior start young. She knows that her poor eating habits are not good for her or for her children and if she continues this lifestyle she’ll not only be hurting herself, she’ll be hurting her children in the long run.

Roshonda’s mom is definitely her very best friend and she loves her very much. Roshonda is excited to support her mother and help her lose weight, just as Carolyn has always supported and helped her.

Choose Health. Choose Medifast.