Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Medifast. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About this time last year, I began researching how to become a living kidney donor. I knew I was in good health, I was fairly confident I would pass every physical and psychological test, but what I didn't know was that my weight would be my biggest obstacle. Fast forward to a few months ago and me sobbing into the phone while the Living Kidney Donor Coordinator explained to me that my weight needed to drop and my A1c needed to lower (they are tied to each other, so when the weight drops, typically your A1c does as well), and until then, I wasn't going to be able to proceed with the living donation process. After 3 months of going through test after test, I ugly cried, so thank God she couldn't see me. I was all in for this donation process and now my sweet tooth was catching up with me and preventing me from doing something for someone else. I tried completely overhauling how I ate. I got a FitBit and set goals for sleep, steps and activity. I started working out. However, it took me 4 months just to lose 12 pounds. Friends urged me to get a thyroid test and check to see if I was insulin resistent. Both came back completely normal. I went to a dietician who was completely stumped. I was doing everything she would recommend. She only saw me once because she felt I knew what to do, even though it wasn't moving the needle on the scale. To say I was frustrated was an understatement. I slowly began to fall back into my old eating habits and the 12 pounds came back. I felt defeated. I hated how I looked, no doubt, but I felt even more awful that I couldn't donate to someone in need. Over the last few months I noticed that my Pastor became a Medifast rep. He lost a lot of weight and looks great. Others in my church have also done the program and looked great. However, if being skeptical was a full time sport, then I was in the game. So I did my research. A few times a week during my downtime, I would look up various aspects of the program, as well as, before and after stories from those who had done it themselves. Working 50 hours a week and managing a household of 7 means I don't have time to go to the gym. I also don't have time to do weight loss meetings. Trying to figure out what it will take to make me lose enough weight to begin the living donor process again is overwhelming and exhausting. So, when the opportunity came before me to try Medifast Go, I decided to go for it. I know that in order to lose weight from home, I have to be organized. I'm going to be honest, I love that the meals are basically grab-n-go and that I don't need to think if something has too much fat, is too high carb or if it lacks the macronutrients I need. However, there's still things I need to do to ensure success. Be Realistic When I ordered the food, I did so thinking ahead to when I go into maintanence. I like to eat things that taste sweet, I love chocolate, but I also like savory items. So the food I ordered matched that vs trying to act like I was going to cut out all "treats" and be super good. I know me, and I would perseverate on those "missing" treats and likely cheat. The Medifast Go program even has chocolate chip pancakes - something we eat once or twice a month in my house. Additionally, be realistic about every aspect of real life while doing this weight loss program. For example, can you do 45 minutes a day of exercise? For me, that's mostly unrealistic, but 10-15 minutes of HIIT is doable. Set a Goal I actually have two weight loss goals - my "ideal" and my "realistic" goal. Ideally, I'd like to lose 70 pounds. Realistically, I'd be OK with losing 30. This helps you to set your expectations. Set a goal when it comes to your daily activity. I work at home from my desk, so this sedentary job makes it difficult to get in 10K steps daily, but 6500 is more realistic. (I tested my baseline one day and it was 1500 steps. So pathetic.) I can make sure I get there by adding in some fitness before I start my work day. Plan Plan your day the night before. Decide what time you will start eating and which meals you will eat. The Medifast Go plan requires eating 6 times a day. I'm lucky if I can remember to eat 3 times a day. Spacing out eating every 2-3 hours requires advanced planning. One thing that comes in handy? My Alexa Dot. I simply tell Alexa to set a timer for 2 hours from the time I first eat. Each time I eat, I tell her to reset the time. This keeps me on track. (You can also ask, "Alexa, how much time is left until my timer goes off?" and she'll tell you.) Keep a Weight Loss Journal Keeping track of what you eat, your exercise, your weight and measurements will help to keep you accountable and on track. And as you begin to lose weight and inches, you'll stay motivated. Today I started this program and I will be doing it for the next 3 months. I'll be checking in every few weeks to update you on my progress. It is my hope that by the end I can say I'm moving forward with the living donor tests so that I can donate my kidney. Try 30 days of Medifast with 7 Days of Free Meals included in the first month's order with a renewal plan. Offer expires April 30, 2018 or get $15 Off orders of $150+ with promo code SAVINGS15 at checkout! Some exclusions apply. Offer expires April 30, 2018. If you've already worked this weight loss program with success, I would love your encouragement and tips in the comments! How to Lose Weight at Home What the First Few Weeks on Medifast are Really Like How Medifast Works How to Stick To Your Diet During the Holidays Can You Cheat on Your Diet and Still Lose Weight? 5 Tips to Lose Weight Right Now *Average weight loss for Medifast Direct® customers using Medifast Go™ is 11 pounds. Medifast Direct customers are in weight loss, on average, for 8 weeks. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. 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