[H82Sweat]

I am sorry if these have been asked before. I am supposed to get my first shipment of Medifast tomorrow and I plan to begin on Thursday. I decided about a week or so ago to try and get back onto the diet and exercise program (lost 20lbs in 2009 but regained 7-8 when I went off plan- South Beach- and quit exercising) and so I am back up to 60 min a day on the treadmill (3.2mph 5% incline)

So do I need to quit that altogether for weeks? Or can I just cut it in half? Or lower my speed? The idea of stopping scares me because it was really hard to get started again and I am also convinced that the only reason I "only" put on 7lbs was because I had built up muscle. Can I just stop for 1 week if I really need to cool it?

I was also planning on learning to use resistance bands (I do girly pushups and legs lifts every other day but want something more fun and effective) should I postpone that and for how long?

TIA!

[beerab]

I don't do medifast but everyone I know who does has never said they stopped exercising when they started the program. I wouldn't quit if it was hard for you to get back into it.

[jillybean6354]

Are you doing strictly Medifast or did you order through Take Shape For Life? If you did TSFL, your coach should be able to help you more definitively.
But I would definately take a break from it for the first 3-4 days, then start back up again SLOWLY. If you're used to 60 minutes, start back again at 20-30 minutes 3 times a week at first, then slowly building back up to 60 minutes a day.
I did not exercise regularly before I started. I would take a walk here and there, I live on a farm, so taking care of the animals keeps me fairly active, but I by no means "worked out" and did not start regular work outs until the end of my second week on MF. I started 3 days a week and now am up to five.

[H82Sweat]

I didn't even know about TSFL and ordered directly from Medifast. I guess I should follow the directions of the program (duh) and keep a positive attitude about restarting exercise instead of viewing it as something to conquer. It will be difficult though.

But I would still like to hear other's experiences!

[Lilyheart]

I did not exercise before beginning Medifast, so I don't have direct experience, but I can copy and paste for the most recent response I can find to a similar question on the Medifast Exercise and Training Assistance boards. The general gist I've got from reading the boards for awhile now is: if it doesn't make you feel bad, it's okay. You may want to cut back a little the first few weeks as your body adjusts to the new calorie level. Your body will be getting it's energy from a different source then it's used to. But most of all: Listen To Your Body !

Hello,
My name is Ilana and I am an ACE certified personal trainer here at Medifast. The reason that we recommend waiting to work out is to give your body a chance to acclimate to fewer calories (i.e. less energy input).
You may certainly continue with your workouts as you have been doing them, just pay attention to the way you feel during and if you start to feel dizzy or overly tired, stop.
Keep in mind also that we recommend working out for a maximum of 45 minutes so 20 minutes on the treadmill should be just fin. In fact, once you get a little farther into your program, you may choose to add some time!
I hope this is helpful.
Ilana