The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[laurajean]

Hello,
I started medifast Feb 14, and I want to lose 40 pounds.
I ordered a month's supply from the 'official website",
and it is going well so far, (ha! only two days! );)
After reading postings on this site, I discovered that some people
skip the evening lean meat and salad or vegetable.....they just do medifast all day.
I did not know that was an option.

Will one lose significantly more and faster if I skip the
evening lean meat and salad?

Thanks
Currently, I am planning on doing
three shakes a day
1 bar
1 soup
proper drinks- water boullion, black coffee.....i
one lean meat and salad dinner.
CAN i lose weight just doing this?

[raederle]

Currently, I am planning on doing three shakes a day 1 bar 1 soup proper drinks- water boullion, black coffee.....one lean meat and salad dinner. CAN i lose weight just doing this?

You sure can, and I think most of us here do. It's called the "5 & 1" plan, where the "5" stands for the 5 MF supplements you eat (soups, bar, shakes, cocoa, etc.), and the "1" is a "lean & green" meal of veggies and lean protein. You can do the "full fast" plan, which would consist of 6 MF supplements and no "lean & green" meal. Because you would be eating even fewer calories on the full fast, though, you should be under medical supervision.

As for which plan is more effective, I think that different things work for different people. Many would say there's not a big difference in weight loss from one to the other, but some people might have a hard time with portion control or with stalling because of the slightly larger amount of carbs in the 5 & 1 plan. Soooo... it's up to you, but the plan you're on (5 & 1) is fine if it's working and if you're comfortable with it. You can always go "full fast" later if you want to try it (with a dr's permission, preferably!). Also, some people do "full fast" just on those days when they just don't have time to make a lean & green meal-- no harm in doing that occasionally, either.

Basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! If it is, we'll help you adjust!

Good luck, welcome, and congrats on your decision to take charge of things! Check out the FAQ here, and the QuickStart book that came with your order, if you haven't already. There're some great tips there!

[24KaratGold]

I've heard, though I don't know for a fact, that the difference between "full fast" and "5 and 1" is about half a pound a week. For me, I couldn't stay on full fast. I want my "lean and green" for dinner! Plus, it makes it possible to maintain some sort of social activity that involves going out for a meal.

I started on January 3, doing the 5 and 1, and as of this morning I have lost 29 pounds so far, so it sure can be done! Good luck to you.

[explorthis]

I want my "lean and green" for dinner! Plus, it makes it possible to maintain some sort of social activity that involves going out for a meal.

Hey, K, your doing great. I want to speak out loud here, NOT DIRECTED AT YOU, but at this type of thinking. We have discussed this before, and some agree, and some disagree. I guess that is what makes us all individual.

First of all, change shoes for a second. You are not dieting, for whatever reason, either you don’t care about your weight, or you don’t need to lose weight, whatever it is. You are at a “social” function, you 1) either know someone is Medifasting, or 2) discover someone is Medifasting. Do you all of a sudden turn up your nose because this person is doing something out of the norm? Is this person now diseased, because he/she chooses to Medifast fully, instead of having a lean green “to maintain some sort of social activity”? DO you watch this person all night because they chose not to participate in a forked dinner, but instead have their shake out of a glass?

I am of the adage, that if someone cannot accept you for what you are, fat, thin, Medifasting fully, or doing the lean green, then they are not fit to be a friend in the first place. WHO cares of this person is a client, office associate, or family member. This is why there is individuality. We should create our own circumstances.

If we choose to do the full fast during a “social event” then people should accept it. If they can’t, then I don’t want to associate with them in the first place. I will be the first to stand up and slam a nail in someone’s head for belittling someone for something they are doing just because it is not “normal”

I have lived in a glass house my entire life, and have had many stones tossed my way because of my choice in life, I know the pain, but trust me, we need to stand up to these people and be heard period.

Lastly, I bet you dollars to shake packets there is someone at your “social event” that IS overweight, and is longing for a reason to begin a transformation like this one provides. What a great opportunity to let them know what it has done for you!!!

By the way, TWENTY NINE pounds is GREAT!

-Mike

[24KaratGold]

Since the whole point of going out to a nice restaurant with friends is to, well, socialize and have a nice dinner, seems it would defeat the purpose to be full fasting at that point. Yes there are other social events (parties come to mind) where Mike's remarks are more applicable, but for the let's-dress-up-and-go-somewhere-nice-for-dinner crowd they really aren't. Similarly, if I have to go out to a business lunch, I want to be able to eat while I'm there instead of pulling out a shake or a bar and drawing that attention to my program. I don't really have the economic luxury of "not caring" about a client.

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

[explorthis]

I don't really have the economic luxury of "not caring" about a client.

OK. What is "economic luxury" anyway?

My question still remains in paragraph 3.

Again, K, this is not (though it might appear as such) anything against you personally, just opening up some good jib-jab for discussion.

-Mike

[scrabbler7]

You are at a “social” function, you 1) either know someone is Medifasting, or 2) discover someone is Medifasting. Do you all of a sudden turn up your nose because this person is doing something out of the norm? Is this person now diseased, because he/she chooses to Medifast fully, instead of having a lean green “to maintain some sort of social activity”? DO you watch this person all night because they chose not to participate in a forked dinner, but instead have their shake out of a glass?

Mike -- I think you are asking the wrong question --

You are asking Do I? to us - the overweight. Of course WE DO NOT. But there are those that do. And for some, it is an easier course of action to make themself as inconspicuous as possible.

You are a very out-going person at whatever weight ... there are others who are not. Their choice may be to refrain from making their Medifasting public. If that keeps them on program and gains them the strength to continue until goal ... then I say lean and green it all ya want. The mantra here is Just Do It, as you say.

Well - that's my jib-jab to the discussion.

[raederle]

Well, I think K meant there are times, usually on the job, when we may need to conform as best we can to others' expectations instead of forcing them to accept our admittedly odd MF behavior. I can think of times when my ex-boss (rather rabid high-powered partner in a big firm) would have shot me on sight if I pulled out a shaker jar during a sales pitch dinner with a prospective client worth millions of dollars to the firm. In those situations, I would choose to appear to eat "normally" (i.e., by having a salad and maybe a tuna filet for a lean & green dinner) instead of mystifying the client and expecting that person (usually a Thinnie) to accept me for who I am and go to he** if he didn't. Soooo.... if I wanted to keep my job, I'd need to deal with that. Is it a choice? Sure. Nobody's holding a gun to my head and making me eat tuna instead of a dutch chocolate shake. But the reality is that sometimes my diet must be adaptable to the situation, and not the other way around. That's why I do 5 & 1, and I'm thinkin' that's part of why 24K does, too.

Howzat for some more jib jab?

[scrabbler7]

oops

btw - Hiya Laurajean!

- forgot to welcome you to the forum! Glad to have you!

[Sylvia]

Of course I can't shy away from this discussion...

I honestly don't care and never have who knows that I'm doing this or what people think or don't think of it. That doesn't mean that I always wanted (or that it always made sense) what I ate or didn't eat to be the center of attention.

At a party or a larger affair that is not sit down or where there is a lot of mingling I would generally have my MF before arriving and drink sparkling water the whole time.

At sit down meals - particularly business-related ones - I would always have a modified meal. I felt in control enough to do so and it never affected my weight loss. Being able to do this is part of what allowed me to commit to this program for 6 months. More fundamentally, while I wasn't shy about being on the program and didn't particularly care what people thought about it, that doesn't mean that I wanted my program to be the focus of every conversation in every setting. Face it, whipping up a shake does tend to be a distraction which is not helpful in a business setting.

My 2 cents...

[kelly1234]

Hello Ame!! I have been wanting to ask you how your weightloss is going, I remember that we wanted to lose the same amount and we weighed the same. As far as this topic, I for one love to go out to dinner with friends. They all know that I am on the Medifast and know that I can have a small meal in the evening. It depends on the person, like you said not everyone has the same personality. I have told everyone how I have lost 15 pounds in 4 weeks and they are suppotive about it. I guess I am lucky that way

[mindovermatter]

I'm a 5 and 1er and it's working great for me. I've done the full fast before when in Opti Fast and it was always an issue in social situations. Not necessarily bad but always an issue and made me the center of attention and topic of discussion/debate. Being a rather private person, it was uncomfortable for me to go thru this. When I was around close friends, it wasn't a big deal but a real dinner party is a different story. I really don't care to hear what aquintences think about what I am doing. Nor do I want to waste a fun evening debating/justifing my choices.

How's that for jib jab.

Beth

[laurajeanjellybean]

Hello

I've heard, though I don't know for a fact, that the difference between "full fast" and "5 and 1" is about half a pound a week. For me, I couldn't stay on full fast. I want my "lean and green" for dinner! Plus, it makes it possible to maintain some sort of social activity that involves going out for a meal.

I started on January 3, doing the 5 and 1, and as of this morning I have lost 29 pounds so far, so it sure can be done! Good luck to you.

I also love the lean meat and salad. I have three sons and a husband, and I like to eat dinner with them, so I have to do the 5 plus 1 plan!
29 pounds since Jan 3, you are an inspiration!!
Thanks for responding!

[monkeymom]

I started out doing the 5 and 1 plan, and then wound up full fasting basically because it's easier for me, especially during the week when I have school. I did however have a lean and green this weekend just because I really had the desire to do some chewing.

I'm with Mike in a lot of ways, I've mixed up my shakes in some odd situations..........was studying a bit at Starbucks before church and asked for a cup of hot water and mixed my oatmeal up and had it with my espresso there........at school I get a bottle of water, drink 1/2 of it and mix my shake up with the rest, so while the kids next to me are munching on their cheetos or snickers bars, I slurp my shakes and they are all quite impressed that I have the willpower to stay away from the candy machine (more encouragement to stay compliant).

But that's me, and that's my situation. If you aren't comfortable, then don't do it. The bottom line is to work the plan however it works best for you so that you can stay compliant.

Oh, I also have to agree with Mike though that if you are comfortable shaking in public, you may be the person to inspire someone else who's been desparately trying to find a way to loose weight. This has happened with 2 friends who I had lunch with, I had a shake and crackers while they ate, and also has attracted the attention and questions of a very overweight young lady in one of my classes at school. All 3 are watching me to see how it goes and are planning to start themselves if I am still doing so well at a month on the program (I'm over half way there). Doing MF is for me, but if I can be an encouragement to others, all the better.

And that's my 2cents........well, more like 20

[Unca_Tim]

Hi Vicki,
If you refer your friends to your health advisor, remember to let them know so you can collect your referral fee.