I love it so far.
It has changed the way I shop and cook for the better of course.
I have also become an avid nutrition info label reader.
One of the things I have been doing is adding a dash or 2 or Torani 0 cal 0 sugar syrups to the shakes, and I found http://www.medifastmedia.com/shared/...mendations.pdf this on medifast's site.
It helps staying on the plan easier when you can play with it a little

Oh yeah... something else I have figured out on my medifast adventure ...is invest in a "Magic Bullet" or a blender.

When I get up in the morning, I put my soup in a bowl with 1/4 cup hot water (from the Insta-hot dispenser on my sink), stir well, then add the other 1/2 cup of cold water, stir again, cover and refrigerate. I usually add a teaspoon of concentrated boullion too. By the time lunch rolls around, everything is rehydrated and so much better.

I do the same with the eggs and oatmeal. The longer things soak, the better they are.

I read a recipe to use your shakes as a cake.
Mix any shake powder with 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1 T Eggbeaters, 1 oz. water and a dash of any extracts that you like. Mix well and microwave in a small bowl for 1 minute. This makes a nice change from shakes!

Valerie

I started my plan today. I ordered online and got the basic instructions in the folder with the DVD. The one thing I can't find info on and have seen a lot about on the boards is references to the snacks. Where on the Medifast site does it discuss them and how many you get? My info just mentioned the 5-1 plan and the healthy fats with the leaner meats.

I plan to try this for a couple of weeks, and then switch to a center if I think it is working for me. There is a center within half an hour's drive of here.

TracyC, on the MyMedifast site, go to the Success Tools tab, then to Eat Right. All the lists are there including Optional Snacks. You can have one snack per day with the caveat that it may slow weight loss.

• 3 celery stalks
• 1 fruit-flavored sugar-free PopsicleŽ
• ˝ cup of sugar-free gelatin dessert, such as Jell-OŽ
• 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 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.

Thanks, Michelle. I am still getting used to the site. Having a (small) handful of nuts is very appealing to me. I will admit that I put a 1/2 tablespoon of pecans in my pudding, and it's nice to know I wasn't really cheating!

I am enjoying the food, except for the oatmeal, which tastes like what I imagine wallpaper paste might taste like.

The tomato soup is good---I add a bit of spices and a spoonful each of chopped beef (deducted from my dinner portion) and some minced red pepper. My skinny daughter said my soup looked and smelled good and was disappointed that she couldn't share my expensive "diet" food.

This hasn't been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I ordered another week of food. I got it from ebay this time, because the shipping is so high on the Medifast site. If I want to stick with this and buy a whole month's supply, I might go back to the site. I am trying the beef stew, chocolate chip pancakes and caramel crunch bars, in addition to things I've already had this week. I did order another box of the tomato soup. I am going to have two servings of soup a day, because it is more satisfying than the sweet stuff.

Wow, Tracy! The improvements you made to the tomato soup sound wonderful! I tried it for the first time this morning, but without any spices or changes. It wasn't bad, but I think next time I'll give it a little pinch of Italian blend seasoning and see how that works out. ;-)

I agree that the soups make a nice, satisfying change from all the sweet stuff. The Chicken Noodle, Chicken with Rice, and Maryland Crab soups are all pretty tasty, too. Although, now that the warm weather is here, I may have to put the soups in the back of the pantry for a while.

How is your first week going? Have you noticed a sharp decrease in your cravings for junk food since you've been using the MF meals?

Michelle, I feel better from not ever being overstuffed on this plan. I do have the feeling I would benefit from a consultation at the center---we have one relatively close by---but I am a bit apprehensive about the cost of that.

I think my cravings for junk food are down, but I still miss having a little bit of rice or potatoes with dinner. I am hoping my second week's order will get here Friday so I can start week two on Saturday. We have a family event on Saturday, but I am going to try to stick with veggies w/dip or salad, and some sort of meat. As long as I stay away from the potato chips, I should be all right.

I've found (after 4 weeks now) that my L&G dinner has gotten smaller. I'm much more satisfied with less, which is an important lesson to take away when I'm off this food someday.

So after nearly 6 weeks I am down 16 pounds.

So much YAY

Way to go! Keep it up and keep posting so we can cheer you on!

I started the plan today.

Had headaches at points during the day and took ibuprofen in the afternoon. I have been hungry, but not as bad as I thought it would be.

Day started with RTD chocolate shake. Not the best tasting stuff but I know I won't want to hassle with mixing or blenders at that time.

S'mores bar was great. Caramel Crunch notsomuch for me. Loved the Parmesan cheese puffs!

I didn't know that the soups/chili needed extra time. I will have to start the soak when I get home from work since I may eat those as my evening snack some nights.

What is a magic bullet? And is it dishwasher-able?

The Magic Bullet is a small blender/food processor.(sounds like a marital aid though ) It is dishwasher safe.
Everything that tastes bad to you now...try again in a week.

I am getting my medifast sometime today. Super excited and starting tomorrow. I know from other meal replacement plans sort of what tends to be gross... it's not fair to judge them for the sins of others, but in general, I find that powdered soups and eggs just aren't good. I stuck to shakes, bars, pudding, soft serve, pancakes because I know I can stick with those unless they are truly dreadful. If eating anything on the plan becomes too much of a chore or something I dread, the plan always fails for me.

And this coming from someone who downs some really disgusting vegetable smoothies a few times a day, I can handle some things, but powdered eggs? Noooo.