The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[JustLynda]

I've been reading so many posts in these forums, I've learned a lot so far. I read one that said to not eat the L&G as the last meal of the day

Is this true? Did I miss it in my Quick Start guide (I'm at work and don't have it with me for reference)? I've been having my L&G as my last meal of the day ever since I started. Woopsie!

[Pashta]

This thread is where I read it:

http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5581

This is not an outside link, it's to another post in these forums so no need to snippy it.

[JustJeni]

Hi Lynda! I have been having my L&G for dinner. I cook hubby same meat I'm eating, but he has more stuff along with his. I have been losing still. This is new to me......hummm, now I wonder what everyone else is doing? Hehehe!

[FluffyNoMore]

My L and G is my next to the last meal. I eat about 5:30-6 most nights and go to bed about 11 ish... so I usually have a pudding or a shake before bed. If I had my L and G later I don't think I'd be able to fit in another medifast meal.

Of course I'm new to this...so I'm still learning.

[Jan]

Hmmm
I dug through the Quick Start and the Protocol Manual and couldn't find anything that stated that it was not "ok" to have your lean and green as your last meal of the day. I know conventional "dieting wisdom" says not to have your heaviest meal last thing but on this program it's just a matter of calories in and calories out. So I think it's probably fine to have your lean and green last. I know sometimes when we're in a pinch -- we do that. If things have changed I know Nancy will jump in and get us all straightened out. The only reason I generally have a lean and green for dinner is because that's when my family eats dinner. I save a hot cocoa or something for later in the evening. But, I don't think that's a rule. I know you can have a "lean and green" for breakfast (like an omlet) or lunch as well. It's just a matter of getting in 5 and 1 every day.
jan

[JustLynda]

Whew! That's a relief. I really enjoy being able to sit down with my boyfriend at the end of the work day and have a nice meal together.

Sorry if I sounded panicky. But, well...I was panicky.

Thanks for the quick responses!

-L

[Pashta]

I think the point is to not make it the very last thing you eat right before bed. I'd be shocked if we couldn't have it at dinnertime! LOL

[falisamarie]

I think what Jan is saying is that it is ok to have the L&G for your last meal if you chose to. Old diet techniques have taught us not to eat right before bed time but on MF it is alright to eat right before bedtime, even your L&G if you chose to do so. I also have my L&G at dinner time so I can eat with my family but it is entirely up to you when you have it.

Lisa

[Jan]

Hi Lisa,
You interpreted my message exactly right. We can eat it as our last meal of the day. The most important thing is to follow the program exactly. Since we have a limited number of calories each day -- each must be a nutrition packed calorie -- no empty ones for us. It is a matter of calories in and calories out . The only problem with a larger meal as the last thing is sometimes it affects your sleep. Some people sleep better and some can't sleep at all. It's up to you.
jan

[ascicles]

Hmmm, I don't know why, but I remember being specifically told to not have it as my last meal. I usually have it as my next to last.

It sure would make things easier if I could have it last.

[Pashta]

Well, it is a bad idea I think because once off the diet, the habit will stick. I highly suggest not eating a large meal right before bedtime. Any meal at all, no matter the calories. It's starting or enforcing a bad habit that will make us gain weight back. You are not supposed to eat anything for 4 hours before you go to sleep to help prevent your body storing the energy as fat.

[Nancy]

The Take Shape For Life Program is different from other programs. We are a balanced meal approach that utilizes proven concepts, portion controlled servings, we have excellent nutritional products and the studies at NIH and Johns Hopkins show the results are not contrived but have excellent results when followed.

As Dr. Andersen teaches us, traditional diets don't work. We are not a diet but a healthy meal plan that stabilizes blood sugars, provides adequate nutrition and the mild dietary state of ketosis allows people to not have cravings and hunger, allowing them to remain program-compliant and to reach their optimal weight rapidly and safely.

This is all about establishing a healthy lifestyle - the way to eat for the rest of our days - the style is small low-calorie, low fat meals eaten frequently throughout the day. Exercise is an important component for life-long health and weight maintenance.

There is no problem with eating meals in the evening - there is no magic hour of the day that is considered to be the cut-off point for eating the lean and green meal or for having a Medifast meal replacement. The meal plan has been carefully designed to provide just the right amount of food at three hour intervals to give us an adequate fuel source and to keep our energy level strong.

I have a serving of Medifast Oatmeal or Chai Latte every single night at 11 PM and if I am still up and working, another at 2:00 AM. We often have our L & G at 7 or 7:30 PM.

Medifast recommends that bars are not eaten in the evening due to their higher carb and calorie content but honestly, I have many clients that have their bar at 8 PM and they consistently lose weight. Many of our diabetic clients have their bar just before bedtime so they don’t experience nighttime low glucose.

Most of us feel better than we have in a long, long time eating 6 times a day. Depending upon our schedules, some of us must eat later in the evening. The body doesn’t know what time it is; it just knows that it is getting the right amount of fuel at the time it needs it.

You are right, Pashta, night time eating habits can be difficult for some of us to break. I used to do a lot of foody damage at night after dinner by eating high fat high calorie foods but the good habits I learned during the weight loss phase on Take Shape’s Program such as eating small low calorie/low fat meals and snacks has made it possible for me to maintain my weight for over three years.

No longer do I go for hours without eating. It is important to not get behind schedule and to skip packets – if we do, it leaves us feeling exhausted and it takes time for the body to catch up. Scheduling is really important. Treat it like a medication dose – space the meals evenly throughout the day. You’ll feel better, weight loss will be consistent and your body will respond best. Skipping packets cuts the necessary nutrients from your daily fuel supply. Design your daily schedule from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed. Divide your waking hours by 6 to get the packet intervals, be sure never to go longer than 4 hours! Most people eat every 2.5 - 3 hours, some with hypoglycemia every two hours.

[Jan]

Thank you so much Nancy for getting this all straightened out for us. We tend to cling tightly to our old "diet thinking" I thought I had it right but then again I was the carrot muncher Great!! When I have a busy day I can eat my lean and green late -- right before bed. I sleep wonderfully on a full tummy
jan

[DogMa]

If you don't eat anything at all for four hours before bedtime, you're going 12 hours with no fuel for your body - even more if you don't eat as soon as you wake up. That's a really bad idea when you're taking in so few calories already.

It's also going to make you hungry at night, which not only can lead to binging but also can interfere with your sleep. And getting adequate sleep is extremely important to weight loss.

[Nancy]

Right on, Robin!


Sometimes it is really hard to eat earlier in the evening.

Here at the MakeMeThinner Cottage we try to eat about 6:30 PM but guess what? Sometimes even the experts mess up!

We had quite a time on our road trip with our meal schedules, didn't we, Jan?

There were some days - ok, every day this last week was rough in terms of meal times.

We were doing Healthy Tastings and meeting with people for rather long periods of time. I find it difficult to stop mid-sentence and slurp on a shake or to eat a bar when I am doing a presentation. We started our day about 6:30 AM and there were days that we had two packets under our belt and then ended up go too many hours before we got to eat again.

No wonder Paul ate my demonstration bar right off the display table! Poor Guy! He was a Starvin' Marvin.

The night we ate at Chili's after 9 PM was really a challenge. I ordered a green salad, grilled salmon with steamed broccoli.

The salmon was hard as a rock - I think the chef was trying out a new technique that didn't work...I know that I should have sent it back but it was late, there were a lot of people at our table and the server was having a rough day. I chose to be gracious and not a grouch... any way, all I ate that day was a packet of Peach Oatmeal, a Chocolate MF Plus for Women’s Health Shake about 10 AM and yes, Folks…it was after 9 PM that I had a green salad with no dressing and some broccoli.

Very, very bad...

When we got back to the hotel after 11 PM, I had a packet of Peach Oatmeal, an hour later I had a Chai Latte and then woke up at 3:30 AM and had a RTD.

Our body will grab every nutrient and calorie we give it. It is needful to eat on time, to not skip meals and yet I know that life happens. When we go too long between meals we can get into foody trouble...

In an ideal world, we eat the L & G earlier in the evening but the Medipolice do not haul us away if we dine at nine.

Do not skip packets…follow the guidelines in the Quick Start booklet for the portion sizes and vegetable choices. The Take Shape For Life Program is different from what most of us are used to. It is not a no carb diet, it is a nutritionally balanced meal plan designed to help us de-flab and maintain muscle mass, good energy and it makes it possible to stick to the program until our optimal weight is reached IF we do not add extra foods to the meal plan. That is what kept me cheat-free on the program for those 7 months - adding extras messes with the fat-burning state and cravings return if you eat foods not on the program.

Shake it up and shake it off!