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

Prior to going on this Medifast weightloss journey, I did a lot of research. And I mean, months of research.

I'm not the type of person to make any decision without first looking into it. This diet was one of them.

Maybe you are doing the same thing right now and that's why you're here. You're wondering, "Do people really lose weight and inches fast?" "What's the catch?" "What does Medifast food taste like?" "Are there really ALL positive results?"

Article after article that I came upon boasted fast and dramatic weight loss. It was awe-inspiring and aspirational, but it was also unbelieveable. Both wow! and really? (said in my skeptical tone of voice) at the same time.

Having gotten two weeks under my belt I'm going to get real with you and explain what it's really like to be on this weight loss plan for these first few weeks. I'll break it down question by question.

What does Medifast food taste like?

I'll be honest, I didn't expect to like every single item I chose for my first month. However, I've been pleasantly surprised. I don't hate everything, and I actually really do have some favorites. I LOVE the Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Cereal Crunch. I typically eat cereal every morning normally and was worried that this cereal would be blah - but it so TASTY. Like so much so that I could probably eat it a few times a day.

Typically, I would also overfill my bowl if I loved a cereal and it has been difficult getting used to normal portion sizes, especially eating something that tastes so good.

The chocolate chip pancakes taste good, but there is a bit of a learning curve with adding the right amount of water for the type of pancake texture I like. I'm getting better at it though.

The maple and brown sugar oatmeal is delicious and I always add a dash of fresh cinnamon to it for extra flavor.

All of the bars I have tried so far (cookie dough, fruit & nut, strawberry crunch and chocolate mint) are all good. They are small and at first you will want to cry over their size. But this gets easier as your body gets used to eating small in 2 hour increments.

Chicken noodle soup, vegetable chili (I add a pinch of shredded cheese to it), chicken and rice soup and the mashed potatoes are also really good. Despite it being powder and freeze dried, they're actually quite flavorful.

The strawberry and chocolate shakes are yum. Sometimes I just blend them with ice in a shaker, and sometimes I make it more like a cold treat by blending ice in my blender to thicken it up and then adding the shake mix.

The parmesan and olive oil crisps taste like the real deal. There's nothing diet or fake about them.

I've never eaten anything with lemongrass before so the lemongrass chicken had an unexpected kick to it - but it was good.

The chocolate mint soft serve and chocolate pudding also taste very real (and their portion size is actually pretty big.)

Do you really lose weight fast with Medifast?

I certainly asked this. Multiple times.

What I didn't realize is that weight loss is due to a number of circumstances. For one, if you are a female in your 20's, then look at other female 20 year olds that have done this diet to see what would be realistic for you. If you are 30, look at someone who is 30. If you're a female in your 40's, then watch my journey.

Here's the thing - the younger you are, the easier it is to lose the weight "fast". The older you get, the slower it comes off.

Men also lose weight faster and differently than women. You can't be 40 looking at the before and afters of a 20 year old and you can't be a woman comparing the weight loss of a man. There's just no comparison.

Weight loss also depends on activity level. You can't follow the diet but never exercise and expect to look great. I've had to make lifestyle changes. I now do a HIIT workout for 10-15 minutes every morning and I try my best to reach my 6500 steps a day goal. This may not sound like much, but I want to start slow and build up from there. And this is because you need to know yourself.

For me, working out for 45 minutes every morning is not something I have much interest in, let alone time. I need the kickstart to get me in the right mindset. It's always better to start small and increase it with time, than to go all in and burn out quickly.

OK, and here is the other thing and may be TMI for you, but if you are considering this plan then you need to know. The food binds you up. And when that happens (and it will happen), this too plays a role in the number you see on the scale.

My tip is to increase your water intake (which should also help with hunger pains) and make sure your lean and green meal has roughage veggies like zucchini to help avoid this issue altogether. (Trust me, lesson learned!)

The other thing you can't forget is that inch loss counts, too. That number on the scale may not move as quickly as you'd like it to, but as long as you are losing those inches, then you are still on track to be choosing a smaller dress size soon enough!

Will I feel hungry on Medifast?

I'm not going to lie here, there are days when all I can think are, "OMG I'm going to die from starvation!" (said in my very dramatic, over-exaggerated voice that my family knows me for.)

There are times when I keep asking Alexa how much time is left on my 2 hour timer and feeling complete relief when I hear "10 seconds."

I absolutely look forward to my lean & green meal at dinner time every night because this is when I'm able to eat a protein and 3 servings of vegetables. (So it feels like I am eating a lot.) I choose to cook for this meal because I don't want to get in the habit of not figuring out portion and nutrition on my own.

I was able to get my hands on their Simply Well cookbook and it is AMAZING. So many interesting recipes that I would've never thought of on my own.

For example, tonight I made a Makeover Meal. This is where you mix a Medifast meal with food you buy at your local market. I chose to make the Chicken and Rice Stuffed Pepppers. I just mixed the Medifast chicken and rice soup with 2 eggs and split the mixture between two red peppers and baked them for 30 minutes.  It was so good and so filling.

So do you feel hungry on this diet? Yes and no. It definitely takes some getting used to, but I'm starting to get the hang of it and I think my body is, too.

Here's my stats so far:

Starting: Weight: 183 lbs BMI: 35.7% (I'm 5') Bust: 43" Waist: 44" Hips: 46" Butt: 47" Arm: 13" Legs: 25" Neck: 13.5"

Two week mark Weight: 178.5 BMI: 34.9% Bust: 42" Waist: 42" Hips: 44" Butt: 45" Arm: 12.5" Legs: 25" Neck: 13"

TOTAL: 4.5 lbs lost, 0.8% BMI loss, and 9 inches lost.

Follow my weight loss journey from the beginning: How to Lose Weight At Home

*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.