Getting Started or Starting Over?

Happy Monday morning everyone!

For some of you, today is your first day on Take Shape for Life/Medifast and you're a mixture of excitement, skepticism and hope - you're hopeful because you've read about the success that others have had, but you're not quite sure if this will really work for you. If this describes you, you're in good company, because that's the way that most of us felt when we first started - I know that's EXACTLY how I felt. I'm glad you're here!

For others of you, today is the first day of your restart. This may be the first time you've restarted, or this may be the 10th. You are probably a bit lacking in the excitement department, and you may even have a bigger dose of skepticism, but you're here and determined to make it work this time. I'm glad you're back!

Whether it's your very first day ever on Take Shape for Life/Medifast or you're restarting - again - one of the things that will make a difference is making this program your routine. A routine is developed over time and repetition - the more we do something and the longer we do it, the more likely it is to become a habit that becomes hard to break.

When I first started on Medifast in June of 2007, I remembered that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit or break an old one. In over two decades of dieting, I don't think I ever stayed on a diet without cheating for 21 days, but I decided to set this as my Medifast goal. I wasn't even that focused on how much weight I would lose (I wasn't sure I could lose weight); my focus was on just doing this for 21 days to see what would happen.

I was thrilled to lose 9 pounds my first week (I started at 260), and I was honestly surprised to see that I really COULD lose weight. But my focus was on the calendar, checking off every day as I moved closer to 21 days. When I reached my 21st day on plan without cheating, I realized that I could do this one day at a time.

Every morning I asked God for the strength I needed for the day, and every day I focused on getting through that day, one meal at a time. The funny thing was that it worked! I couldn't commit to staying on plan for the better part of a year, the time it would take to lose 126 pounds, but I could commit to a day at a time.

So, if you're just starting or just starting over, I want to encourage you today to take it one day at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow - just get through today. If you do that day after day, you'll be establishing a new, healthy habit that will stay with you for the rest of your life and you'll also reach your goal.

Go for it!

Blessings!
Cheryl