New! Lots of questions
 

Hello. I am planning to start medifast (haven't ordered it yet) and have been reading this forums/researching for a while. I would like to ask some questions because I'm one of those overly prepared types.

1. What qualifies as lean? Is there a list somewhere (I saw the one on the medifast website but it seems a bit lacking). Is canned chicken breasts considered lean?

2. I don't really have much of an opportunity to go to a grocery store often and do not cook/household does not cook (also, reason why I have gained so much weight, we eat out too much and my eating habits are terrible).

3. Are there any lean &green that is very very simple and does not require much ingredients (again.. a non cooking household). The reason I love medifast already is that it does not require much preparation/cooking.

4. Any tips and things I need to know before & during? Dos/Donts?

5. For the starter kit, could I customize/substitute the items (I hate oatmeal in general) and if so, would it cost extra and how do I do so?

Thank you very much! I think that's all of my questions but... please don't mind me if I come up with more.

Hi, mentoslover! I'm new to posting on this forum but I've been on Medifast for 6 weeks now and I've lost over 25 lbs. I felt compelled to respond to your post because you sound so much like me. I, too, don't cook much, and as you stated, this is why I gained so much weight in the past and also why Medifast has been great for me.

One way that my situation is a little different from yours is that I'm a vegetarian, so your lean options are a little different than mine. I'm not sure about the whole canned chicken thing since I don't eat chicken. I can just tell you what I do for my lean & green. Instead of a meat/poultry/fish option for the lean, I eat 2 Morningstar Farms veggie burgers - there are many varieties and any variety with less than 6 g carbs is allowed (actually, I'll eat ones with 7 g carbs and it hasn't affected me negatively at all). These veggie burgers can be microwaved, so they're super easy to prepare. For my green, I have either 1 can of green beans (again, microwaved) or if I'm working at the hospital, I'll get a salad at the salad bar and use my own dressing that is Medifast friendly.

As far as customizing your kit - I do that every month. I'm kinda picky about my food, so I only get what I like. On the medifast ordering site, go to the menu bar on the left side of the page where it says "design your menu", and click on "get started now." From there you can select a 2 or 4 week menu, and then choose only the products you want.

My tips: Make sure you drink enough water!!! That has been the biggest difficulty for me, but it makes a huge difference in my weight loss.

Hope this was helpful!

SpaceCadet

Hi mentoslover,

Lean & green meals can be as easy or as complicated as you want. I think canned chicken is fine, but watch out for added sodium and sugar. Some easy meals I make a lot - grilled steak, tuna steak, or swordfish over a salad. I make a blended veggie tofu soup in my Vitamix blender - might work in a Blendtech or the Cuisinart blender with a heater. A 3 egg veggie omelet/scrambled eggs is also easy. If you have a crock pot, there are lots of easy soups - chicken with salsa, broth & bell peppers, chicken/broth/broccoli, beef/tomatoes/green beans/broth. Frozen veggies in those microwave steambags (no sauce!) are super easy, too.

Good luck!

One of the things I really like about the Medifast program is that you don't have to do a lot of figuring. If you don't cook, you can always buy your Lean & Green meal at a restaurant. You have to do a little research about the menu beforehand, though--say, on the internet--so that you know what you can order that is on plan.

One of my favorite things to get in a place like Chili's or TGIFridays or Ruby Tuesday is salmon. You can order it as a salad and get your greens that way (leave off the dressing or get it on the side), or at R.T. you can order two vegetable sides such as green beans, zucchini, asparagus, etc. Often at restaurants you might get a bit more oil or salt than is ideal, but stay with the intent of the Lean & Green. Tell them not to bring the doggone biscuits! :lol:

Also, don't forget that deli meats are an easy solution! Sliced turkey, chicken breast, and roast beef can keep for awhile and you can have them with bag salad or with other cold vegetables. These days you can get bagged mixed vegetables that are OK to eat raw.

Jay

Thank you very much for all the comments and advice! I look forward to being part of this community once I order medifast and get going. Thank you again for all the warm and helpful answers!

Hi everyone,

I have a question about diet soda. I just noticed that diet soda is allowed but it doesn't clarify how much. How is it ok? Although the quick start guides says it is allowed I thought diet soda still had sugar. I am completely confused.

Jen

Diet soda does not contain sugar. It contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame (i.e. NutraSweet) or sucralose (Splenda). These give a sweet taste, but the body can't use them like it can sugar.

Jay

Jay,

Thanks for the response. I think having a soda now and then will help with the desire for sweetness.

Jen

I just started on Wednesday (Leap Day). I appreciate all the great tips and ideas! :-)