I started Medifast today and happened on this site looking for advice. I am excited to lose weight and hope to be one of the success stories written about everywhere.
Funny enough, I didn't plan to start it just happened. My husband bought a months supply of foods some time ago and he has been meaning to start, but hasn't. A long list of reasons why he he hasn't. After seeing the piles of foods in our closet for these last few weeks, I got annoyed this morning and said if he wasn't going to do it, than I would!
So I started. I am going to Hawaii this June for a wedding and want to be 140 lbs, now at 188.
Today has been okay, Im hungry but thats okay. I'm usually too busy to eat real meals anyway, so I am used to small snacks all day. My problem will be at dinner, when I always make a big dinner for the kids and hubby. Also weekends will be tough as thats when we always eat out, and of course baking, love baking....i have cranberries in the fridge for muffins that i was planning to bake tomorrow.
Did you get the Medifast booklet along with the food your husband ordered? Lots of good info in there. Check out the medifast1.com website also--lots of tips and lists of foods.
Those big dinners don't have to be a problem--just be sure that that meal is your Lean & Green for the day. Stick with the protein and veggies and pass on the potatoes/bread and other carbs. Be sure you weigh your protein--it's easy to overestimate and not eat enough.
Yes, that is normal. It will go away after another day or two as your body adjusts.
If you find you are really feeling hungry/lightheaded, you can have 1 extra Medifast shake. That is better than going off the plan.
Also, be sure you make use of the allowed snacks. Here is the list:
In addition to your five Medifast Meals and one Lean &
Green Meal, you may choose one of the following
optional items per day:
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 fruit-flavored sugar-free Popsicle®
• ˝ cup of sugar-free gelatin dessert, such as Jell-O®
• Up to 3 pieces of sugar-free gum or mints
• 2 dill pickle spears
• 1 packet of Medifast Soy Crisps
• 1 packet of Medifast Crackers
• 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter*
• ˝ oz of nuts: almonds (10 whole), walnuts
(7 halves), or pistachios (20 kernels)*
*Nuts are a source of healthy fat and additional calories.
Another strategy is to split up the Lean and Green, and eat half of it for lunch and half for dinner. That means you eat 7 times instead of 6.
one question i have, during the weekends i work 5pm-1:30am. I will be awake alot longer past my last meal, should I eat more meals to make it through my work night? My days unfortunately will start as early as they do on regular days, so I am thinking I will need to eat more as I will be burning more with the long days.
That's a good question. The basic rule is, have at least 2 hours but not more than 3 hours between meals. I'm not a coach or an expert, though--I'm just guessing here. But I would say, follow that rule. If your Lean & Green is before you go to work, then have Medifast meals with you so you can continue to keep to the 2-3 hour schedule while you're at work. And I guess doing that would mean that you'd be eating more--like one extra Medifast meal, or maybe two--on the days you work until 1:30 a.m. the next morning. Try it and see how it goes!
Do you get to take a nap during the day when you go to work? Or sleep in the next day? It's important to get enough sleep.
Hang in there, it does get better. Here's my biggest tip - the answer is almost always drink more water. It helps with the hunger, boredom, even a bit with the dizzy. I drink lots of iced herbal tea (Celestial Seasonings will brew cold in a few hours), crystal light, and flavored seltzer. I'm not a huge fan of plain water, but I drink lots of calorie-free drinks, and it really helps.
Definitely eat an extra medifast meal or 2 on your long weekend days. This weekend I would bring enough with you to eat every 2 hours, plus 1 extra. By next weekend you should have a better idea of how many you'll need. I always carry an extra bar in my purse, and I have a few stashed in my drawer at work, too. Good thing I do - 6 months in to this, and I forgot all my food 1 day last week.
You can do it! I lost the first 50 pounds in 4 months, so your goal is definitely achievable.
For when you work over-night, I agree with the others to still try and eat every 2-3 hours that you're awake. That might mean an extra meal or you could also try timing your optional snack strategically or splitting your lean and green to get you through one meal without having to add another Medifast meal.
thanks for all the advice. I made sure to bring my foods with me to work and found that I didn't need an extra meal after all because i split my lean and green meal up to eat in two meals during my work night. By doing this I had plenty of energy to make it through the night. I work one more night, tonight but only until 11pm and than 3 days/nights off.
I am trying to get enough to drink, I like vitamin zero waters and got a good supply of these last week.
I have found a few products that I really like and have made eating them into a good routine so as not to get too hungry. It's funny though how I seem to sense that my 2 1/2 hrs are up and its time to eat...
As far as sleep, I am always sleep deprived on the weekend. Sunday I did get to sleep in some, and I managed a 40 minute nap this morning, but sadly when I do hide in my room my house falls apart.
I'm looking forward to weighing myself tomorrow as that will be my first week mark..until then, later.
I didn't get a chance to get online yesterday, but I am still going goodl. My weight yesterday morning was 184, so 4 lbs down for the first week. Is that about average for the beginning?
Curious to know what everyone is planning on having tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I am thinking that I will do medifast for the whole day except for dinner. I will have a regular dinner, but not a "oh my gosh I ate so much I think I am going to explode" dinner. I will take small portions of the foods that I want and probably pass on dessert.
Hey! Congratulations on your first week! 4 pounds in 1 week is great! It will probably slow down in the next weeks, but that's typical. Considering that when I did calorie counting, I would lose 4 pounds in a month... Well, Medifast is more satisfying in that way.
Good luck with Thanksgiving! Yes, you can treat the big dinner as your Lean & Green--and although a few carbs may sneak in there as long as you don't overdo it and go easy, you should be fine. For me, I would skip biscuits in favor of a small portion of stuffing--just as an example. I wouldn't have both.
Concentrate on the turkey--remember that you can have up to 6 ounces of light meat, or 5 ounces of dark meat. That is a big pile of turkey. Or if you don't have turkey, check the Quick Start Guide for ounces of other "lean" foods.
4 pounds the first week is great, Mommy! The second week is usually a big loss too, but what you do today could affect that.
Here's my plan - eat small amounts of only the off-plan foods I really love. My mom's candied sweet potatoes are fantastic, and she only makes them a few times a year, so I will definitely have a couple tablespoons of them. My aunt's green bean casserole and pumpkin pie are just OK - will probably skip them. Stuffing yes, mashed potatoes and rolls no.
Good luck to us all today! It's only 1 day, but my goal is to not go completely overboard today.
End of week two weight on tuesday, 4 more lbs...still going!
I bought myself a pair of pepto bismal pink (sp?) capris this weekend, found on a clearence shelf, that can barely fit up my thighs. I wonder how long it will take until they fit? Not too sure about wearing such bright pants but I thought they would be fun for progress checks.
Yeah, those pants should be an interesting measure of progress. I had a nice shirt that I bought thinking it would fit, but it was too small. I liked the shirt, though, so I kept it. And now it fits! Makes me happy!
First day today!
I drink lots of iced herbal tea (Celestial Seasonings will brew cold in a few hours), crystal light, and flavored seltzer. I'm not a huge fan of plain water, but I drink lots of calorie-free drinks, and it really helps. 
4 pounds in 1 week is great! It will probably slow down in the next weeks, but that's typical. Considering that when I did calorie counting, I would lose 4 pounds in a month... Well, Medifast is more satisfying in that way.
as long as you don't overdo it and go easy, you should be fine. For me, I would skip biscuits in favor of a small portion of stuffing--just as an example. I wouldn't have both.
I liked the shirt, though, so I kept it. And now it fits! Makes me happy!