I feel like I can't just lay around and eat these meals without exercising.

I am burning probably close to what I eat in a day.. I don't think it is, but will it really have any affect on my body?

You'll lose weight without exercising because you'll be eating so little (800-1000 a day). You can google the daily plate from livestrong to calculate how many calories you need to eat just to MAINTAIN your current weight. In my opinion though, you do have to exercise if you want to end up losing considerable fat off your body. In time, a low cal diet like medifast will kick you rbody into starvation mode. It's my first day on MF, and right now I could definitely not exercise like I usually do. I am thankful I did all my exercise (20 min run & 40 min on bike) this morning before now... I feel very lethargic and weak. Glad I only ordered 2 weeks.

The point of eating every 2-3 hours is to prevent your body from going into "starvation mode." It should actually kick-start your metabolism if you follow the plan. It's normal to feel sluggish for a few days the first week. I'm well into my second week and feeling fantastic. I have so much energy and have been able to resume my running program already.

Your body is switching from using carbs for energy to using fats. This takes some time. The guide says if you are already used to exercising, just cut your workout in half--but the main thing is to take it easy at first.

Jay

Medifast doesn't recommend exercise for the first 3 weeks while your body changes its fuel source, unless you are already exercising regularly. This isn't because it's "bad" per se, just that it's going to be a struggle for you and may cause you to see poorer weight losses as your body tries to figure out what's going on.