[daw123]

JayEll posted some idea here that you might find helpful too

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/medi...t-profile.html

[daw123]

Originally Posted by dakotamidnight

I'm thinking of starting medifast, with lots of subs of items available at my grocery due to finances.

Any tips or favorite items to use instead?

Originally Posted by wannabesomebody

a glass of milk and a vitamin instead of a shake or even ovaltine. I love shakes but heck they are so expensive! Took me a long to figure out it's just as easy to have a glass of milk!

In a Womans' World magazine (yes I love that magazine, it has short quick articles to read throughout the week). It had a "shake" diet. Ovaltine I believe was suggested. As was Slim Fast (which has a high protien version) and even Carnation Instant Breakfast because it had the vitamins and minerals in it. They said the Carnation was the least expensive of them all.

[JayEll]

Checking out Carnation products, most of them have too high a carbohydrate amount and too low a protein amount to be a good substitute for the Medifast shakes. The exceptions seem to be the no-sugar-added versions, which have closer to equal amounts of both. Just FYI

Jay

[daw123]

Good point about the carnation. I hadn't looked into it, just thought of it as I was thinking medifast substitutes.

[SpinDizzie]

8oz of unsweetened Almond Breeze and a half serving of Gold Standard 100% Whey protein powder is 100 calories, 4 carbs, 4 grams fat and 13 grams protein.

[daw123]

Budding Deli Thin Turkey Luchmeat

Calories 90
Total Fat 5g
....Saturated fat 2g
....Trans fat 0g
Cholesterol 30mg
Sodium 600mg
Total Carbs 3g
....dietary fiber 9g
....sugars 2g
Protien 9g

SLOW EATING
These can be eaten by the slice to make it last longer.

FAST
You can also roll them up and take a few quick bites if you need to eat in a hurry (these are great for fast eating).


.
I had one of these for lunch and had to eat real fast because I had to run an errand for work and then went shopping for my lunch, and ate this pretty quickly. I prefer not to eat quickly, but it's good to know this can be eaten quickly if needed.

[trennarene]

I was so excited to see someone else using other methods for Medifast. I love the program but the food can become a little boring and expensive after awhile. So I have started baking my own bars, and making my own shakes, ect.. with Whey protein powders. SO I thought I would add one of my FAVORITE new recipes, A high protein, low calorie, low carb Carrot Cake Protein bar. That falls within the medifast programs limits of carbs, calories, and protein.

1 cup oat flour (put plain oatmeal in a blender until powdery)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein (I use body fortress Whey Protein Vanilla)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 egg whites
1 egg white
3/4 cup Stevia in the raw
8 oz pureed carrots (Can use bab yfood carrots too, I used organic..)
2 oz water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, whey protein, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
3. Mix egg whites, stevia, carrots, and water (optional) in a bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.
5. Spray 8x8 glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.
6. Pour ingredients into dish.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
8. Cool and cut into 8 equal size bars and enjoy

This is a meal, not your lean and green.

119 calories, 12 carbs, 10 g protein

[trennarene]

Portable, affordable, and great for on the go, Muscle Milk Light. 100 Calories, 15 grams of protein, and 4 carbs. MUST be drank while cold though! I found mine at Walmart. And I really like the Cafe Latte flavor. But I only do 1 of these a day if done. And a good multivitamin They are around $5 for 4. (here anyways..)

[medifaker]

hey everybodeeeee! i am very new to "medifake" i didnt want to do the medifast because of the soy (thyroid issues), so i am opting for the "do-it-yourself" method. i have come up with some meals that i enjoy and work with my lifestyle. everything is available at safeway. (by the way, i have been doing this for 3 days and have lost 4 pounds so far (from 199-195)

***PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM AWARE THAT THESE ARE NOT ALL EXACTLY PERFECT VALUES COMPARES TO MEDIFAST*** but they are very close! close enough for me
****ALSO NOTE THAT I USE DAIRY WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A NO-NO IN THE REAL MEDIFAST DIET**** i have just found that lowfat dairy is one of the only comparable proteins to soy and i would personally prefer dairy over soy because of my thyroid issues.

1/2- Eas - Advantedge Carb Control Protein Shake, 5.5 oz
2- Ak-Mak - 100% Whole of the What Stone Ground Sesame Cracker
Metamucil - Capsules, 4 Capsules
106 cal
11 carbs
3 fat
11 protein
5 fiber
0 sugar
this is what i have every morning for breakfast because it is quick and easy. the shakes are premeasured so i drink half of the shake, then cover it and store it in my fridge for the next morning. i love the taste of the shake and the crackers too

1/2- Vitalicious - Vitatop- Deep Chocolate (freezer section safeway)
3 egg whites
101 cal
14 carb
1 fat
13 protein
5 fiber
6 sugar
ok, ok, i know a vitatop and egg white is a weird combo, but it is the only way i have figured out a way to eat the vitatop, and let me tell you that the vitatops are TO DIE FOR as far as healthy food goes! they are high in fiber and even whole grain! but yummy!! i am a chocoholic so i had to figure out some way to incorporate this

.8 cup Healthy Choice Soup - Chicken With Rice Soup Bowl Safeway - Fiber Supplement, 2 tsp (3.5g)
Egg Whites - Hard Boiled, 2 large egg
117 cal
14 carb
2 fat
12 protein
4 fiber
1 sugar
this one is kinda weird with the quantity, just split the 2 cup soup bowl in half (store the other half in the fridge for another meal" then eat "most of it" to consume approximately ".8" of a cup. i have found this soup to be one of the closest things to the medifast meals except for the lack of protein. i think it is very important to get enough protein in each meal to help with hunger, so I dont skimp on it!

2- Ak-Mak - 100% Whole of the Wheat Stone Ground Sesame Cracker
1- Lucerne - Light String Cheese Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella
Metamucil - Capsules, 3 Capsules
109 calories
11 carb
4 fat
10 protein
4 fiber
0 sugar
this meal is great because it is very portable and easy. but it does have 1 extra gram of fat, so i am sure to eat it on a day that i havnt eaten alot of fat. you will notice i add metamucil capsules to alot of meals if they dont have enough fiber on their own. i think the fiber is "the key" to this diet, without it i have noticed i am uncomfortably hungry all day!! (ask me how i know)

1/2- Extend Bar - Chocolate Delight 1/2- Lucerne - Light String Cheese
Metamucil - Capsules, 2 Capsules
108 cal
12 carb
3 fat
10 protein
4 fiber
0 sugar
another quick, easy, portable meal

1/3 cup Cottage cheese - Lowfat, 2% milkfat
1 cup Del Monte - Cut Green Beans Canned no salt added
Metamucil - Capsules, 3 Capsules
106 cal
10 carb
1 fat
11 protein
4 fiber
2 sugar

veggie egg scramble
pam spray
Onions - Raw, 0.3 cup, chopped
Mushrooms - Raw, 1 cup, pieces or slices
1 small clove garlic minced (optional)
Generic - Egg Beaters, 0.5 cup
Safeway - Fiber Supplement, 2 tsp (3.5g)
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tbs Sargento - 2% Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese
heat a small pan on medium heat. add pam spray. saute onion until almost soft. add mushrooms and garlic. saute until the mushrooms and onions are soft and garlic is aromatic. lower heat to low. in a small bowl wisk together egg beaters and metamucil powder. season with pepper. add eggs to veggies. cook stirring frequently until eggs are desired doneness. sprinkle with cheese.
108 cal
12 carb
1 fat
15 protein
5 fiber
5 sugar
phew! i made up this recipe but havnt actually tried it yet. hopefully it will be good, looks good on paper

mini tuna sandwich:
1/3 can Tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids
1/2 tsp Kraft - Mayo
Safeway - Fiber Supplement, 1 tsp (3.5g)
1/2 slice Whole Wheat Bread safeway brand
mix first 3 ingredients then spread onto bread.
121 calories
12 carb
3 fat
14 protein
4 fiber
yes, i know this one has 11 too many calories. if you really want to be good, just remove the mayo. that will remove 15 calories and 2 fat. i cant believe there is 2 whole grams of fat in 1/2 tsp of mayo!! but i cannot eat tuna without just a little bit of the wicked stuff

now... im sure some people are imagining me surrounded by food packages and a calculator figuring this all out but that is not the case. i am using;

myfitnesspal.com

which is very helpful in helping me to tweek meals until they are just right. it is free! there is a phone app! and every food i have listed above was already in the huge database so i didnt have to go in and add any of them myself (although that is an option if u cant find a particular food) i love it and i urge anyone doing the medifake diet to try it and share your meals here too
Melanie

[JayEll]

Hey, Melanie,

I sent you to the wrong thread--this is the one for the Food Substitutions and it has better choices than this thread does:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/medi...t-profile.html

You have done a lot of good work!

Yes, you do have to use dairy, I have found, because otherwise you can't really get enough protein in. 2% cottage cheese is really good, as is lowfat yogurt or Greek (0% fat) yogurt. I also like lowfat string cheese.

Good luck! Looks good.
Jay

[medifaker]

thnx jay

[daw123]

I'm confused. Jay, you said in that other thread "Please do not use this thread to list ... foods that do not approach the Medifast meal profile. There is another thread for that." Which would be this thread.
So this would be the correct thread. Diary, etc., does not approach the Medifast meal profile at all. Although you did add that to yours on that thread. Or are you using the word "profile" loosely to mean at least the protien, carbs, calories ratio to Medifast? Not necessarily other things.

And it's too bad that Medifaker had to add in ALL CAPS with stars that she knew this didn't met the profile, she must have read the previous posts of people looking down and saying UNKIND things to those who want to help people with substitutes for Medifast when they can't do Medifast for one reason or another.

[JayEll]

daw123, I had meant to send medifaker to the Food Substitutes thread, not to this thread--this thread is the Non-Medifast Brand Foods thread. I know, it's easy to get them mixed up.

This thread contains some foods that are nowhere near the Medifast food profile--some are just 100-cal. junk foods that a poster is saying are OK, and in my view, they are not--not if one is trying to stay with the Medifast program.

By "profile" I meant the total calories and the macronutrient grams, that is, protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Total calories should be 90-110 cals. per meal (other than Lean & Green). Protein and carbohydrate should be roughly equal, at around 12-14 grams each. And fat should be 3 grams or lower. Also, fiber should be around 4 grams.

As I explained in the other thread (Food Substitutes), some of the Medifast rules are broken with these foods, such as "no dairy" and "no fruits." But one cannot meet the profile without some sources of protein and carbohydrate, e.g., lowfat cottage cheese. But if you are someone who can't eat soy protein isolate, you gotta do something.

Hay

[KBelle]

I have come up with an great protein shake with no artificial sweetners. Unfortunately I can't tolerate artificial sweetners very much - and found I can't eat many of the MF products I just purchased (shakes and brownies for example).

So this is a little higher in calories due to the higher fat and sugar content - but if I love the taste and can stick with the program longer - it is worth a few extra calories for me. This shake taste great and very healthy in terms of vitamins and nutrients.

Coconut Milk 1 cup (50 cals/5 fat/1 carb/0 fiber/1 protein)
Syntrax Nectar 1 scoop Whey Protein unflavored (40 cals/0 fat/0 carbs/0 fiber/10 protein)
Ovaltine 2T (40 cal/0 fat/10 carbs/0 fiber/0 protein
1 fiber capsul
Total (130 cal/5 fat/11 carbs/5 fiber/11 protein)

I realize this shake may not be for everyone - but it is helping me get through the program. I use So Delicious coconut milk (unflavored) in the health food area of my local grocery store.

I also use the Syntrax powder and add 1 scoop to Lipton cream of chicken cup of soup (100 calories/1.5 fat/12 carbs/11 protein).

I did a lot of research on whey protein powders and found syntrax on amazon. It mixes and dissolves great. It does make the milk and soup a little thicker (but no grit or lumps at all) - so I add ice to the shake and a little water to the soup. I LOVE this protein and it will be a staple of mine now.

I also add the Syntrax (1 scoop) to 1/2 cup pumpkin and 1T fat free cream cheese and a packet of stevia and microwave for 1 min (that is yummy too). I also take the syntrax out and put in egg beaters instead. Yes I know the cream cheese is a stretch but again - if it helps me to stay on this plan - it is well worth it for me personally.

Hope this helps. Please post more ideas - I came up with the coconut shake when I saw someone suggest ovaltine on this thread. So keep the ideas coming!!

[prog]

I am trying the 5 in 1 lean and green eating but I am allergic to soy so I've substituted Muscle Milk Lite-which is a whey based protein. Muscle Mile is a fraction of the cost of the Medifast soy shakes and they are available at Walmart. This is working quite well for me and I am losing just as fast. Also for bars, I am using Protein Crunch bars. These are Whey protein also and they are delicious!