The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Nancy]

re: Fit! Products

Just a reminder that our Fit! Products are currently unavailable.

An adolescent nutrition study is under way, and when the study has been completed, we will determine what products for adolescents best fit our product line and I'll let you know when they are available.

All of our products are nutritionally sound for the whole family. We use no questionable herbs or additives and toddlers with a sippy cup love 'pink shakes' as well as Great Grampies and Grammies like grabbing a RTD, a bar or one of our Take Shape Shakes for nutritional intervention or a great fast snack.

[Diana]

Nancy/Unca since there are Fit! thingies in the Docs on Demand in the back office, does this mean they're available for purchase, or will they be held until the results of the study are officially published?

Is there an ETA for the pubilication?

I'd really like to work on a program to take this to the families of kids in our community.

[Nancy]

Hi, Diana ~

I wondered about the Fit! Meal Replacement products myself because like you, I want to see healthy snack and meal alternatives for children. I know how difficult it can be for busy parents to prepare and pack healthy snacks and meals for kids. I taught school for 24 years, many years were in schools without lunch programs. Sometimes children came to school with packages of cheese and lunch meat and a loaf of bread so 'teacher' or child could prepare their lunch for them. I used to keep Top Ramen, Cup-a-Noodles, PB crackers, etc. on hand for emergency rations and give my bananner or share my apple or orange with lunchless kidlets.

The last information I have regarding the Fit! products is the cost of producing different packaging labels for virtually the same food product was not cost effective. Generally it is not recommended that a child be placed on a weight reducing program because they are still growing; we can however use Medifast products for nutritional supplementation and occasional meal replacements. They contain healthy food and no questionable herbs, nothing that will stimulate the central nervous system.

Our one year old grandson loves the oatmeal and has a packet nearly every day for breakfast.

Many children have a shake and a bar for a morning or afternoon snack; some have a packet of oatmeal and a RTD for breakfast; the pudding makes a great evening snack and kids love the soy crisps.

Once the family study is complete, I am sure we will be informed of the results.

[Diana]

Thanks, Nancy.

With the different packaging, I WAS under the assumption that they were, somehow, qualitatively different. Now that I know they're not, I'll move forward.

You're completely right about school, kids, and lunches! Where I teach, there is a cafeteria, but the healthy stuff isn't so appetizing (nor all that healthy). And we have a free lunch program. It's the kids in the middle, though, who get stuck and regularly offer the excuse, "Oh, I don't eat lunch." I often gave parts of my lunch away last year -- yogurts, cheese sticks, fruit, etc. -- with the dictum that if they were in my class, they didn't have a choice. (More than anything, they'd try to barter for my water!) I think next year I'll just keep a Medigrub kids cabinet stocked for emergencies since I won't have anything in my own bag to give away.

I'm hoping to instill good nutritional habbits in my students this next year. I KNOW it will make a difference in their behavior, attitudes, tolerances, attendance and cognition.

I'd love to start FIT! clubs at all the secondary schools in the city! That may not be doable this year, but it's definitely a goal.

[Nancy]

Diana ~

Fit! Clubs are an excellent idea! Many young people call and write me about how they can lose weight when the food choices in their refrigerator and cupboards are not healthy...the TLC show, "Honey, We're Killing the Kids" is superb - it shows the difficulty families face when making changes to their lifestyle.

Our children need nutritional intervention, too. I feel very strongly about the comments we make in the presence of our children. We must not say, I cannot have THAT. I am on a DIEt...it makes healthy foods look evil to our kids. When we rephrase things and say, "I love how good I feel when I eat vegetables and fruits, etc. Broccoli is good for me and I just love it! etc.

There were some slight differences among some products - some had slightly higher potassium levels but they were basically the same formulations...

[jump4joy]

Hi! Hope you don't mind if I chime in here to tell you that my two teenage daughters (14 and almost 17, and are not overweight) have one chocolate RTD every day for an afternoon snack. They love 'em. I buy four cases a month so that I'll have plenty for myself and them. They love the cocoa, oatmeal, and soy crisps too, though they don't have them daily. I will never NOT have Medifast products in my house! I used to buy the FIT drinks for my girls two or three years ago, and I couldn't tell ANY difference in taste from the regular RTD's, so they've always drank mine.....they literally BEG to have one, esp. if I was getting low on supplies and didn't share! Now I always have enough on hand. I noticed this past week, my never-been-fat hubby has been sneaking them them out of the fridge too....might have to order more.

Joy

[Diana]

Oh, Joy, what a great "problem!" A Healthy Medifamily!!

[Nancy]

Thank you, Joy for your juicy info.

The RTDs are so convenient for busy folks. I like the fact that they are good icy cold or at room temp. Having just one box a day provides 20% of a person's vitamin and mineral needs. I used to eat a stack of Ritz crackers every afternoon and all it added to my behind was inches.

The energy and nutrition of the Chocolate RTDs keeps your Medifamily on the move.

[gidar]

Thank you, Joy for your juicy info.

The RTDs are so convenient for busy folks. I like the fact that they are good icy cold or at room temp. Having just one box a day provides 20% of a person's vitamin and mineral needs. I used to eat a stack of Ritz crackers every afternoon and all it added to my behind was inches.

The energy and nutrition of the Chocolate RTDs keeps your Medifamily on the move.

Newbie here soo much interesting things to read its probably here somewhere. What doesRTD's. stand for. Also I have a 14 yr old son who is tall and thin but needs some healthy alternatives. What would you recommend for him as a quick breakfast & snack after school. He is a night owl and not an early riser ean though he has too.

[Blessedmommieof3]

What doesRTD's stand for.

Ready To Drink
The ready to go shakes!

[sister]

Hi!

Sometimes my kids have a bar and a shake in the afternoon. My daughter likes to put a few frozen strawberries in the vanilla shake in the blender. She also likes the Hot Chocolate made in the blender with ice and water.
My youngest likes to have Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal and a small whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese in the mornings.
We also mix the Fruit Punch and pour it into popsicle molds - they enjoy those now and then.

I'm sure Nancy will add her thoughts soon. Kids can enjoy any of the products since they are just "good food"!

Maybe let him try a few and see what tastes best to him. I was pleasantly suprised how my girls actually prefer MF to other foods they have always eaten.

I LOVE this program!!!

[Nancy]

A shake and a bar together make a perfect after school snack. Although the RTDs do not have to be refrigerated, you can put the RTD into the freezer and it will slowly thaw during the day so in the afternoon when the kids are hungry for a snack as they walk home or ride the bus, it may still be a bit frosty. We just have one of those I insulated lunch bags and use the little ‘blue ice’ packs to keep them cool.

Kids like the Chicken Noodle Soup so pairing it with some soy crisps or a bar is another neat snack. You can make meat roll ups to go with the Chicky Noodle Soup. Cut cheese into sticks (or buy those ready made cheese sticks), grab a dill pickle spear and wrap a piece of deli chicken or turkey around the cheese stick/pickle and secure with a 'party pick' - one of those colored toothpicks or sticks with a frilly top. It makes lunch time or snack time fun.

Many kids have a serving of Medifast Oatmeal for breakfast and a fruity shake - just as Sister suggested; drop a few blueberries, strawberries or a banana into the shake for a fruit smoothie packed with vitamins and minerals - a super way to start the day!

You can peel a ripe bananner, wrap it in saran wrap or a Ziplok baggy and freeze it. In the morning, put 8 ounces of water, the frozen bananner and either a packet of Banana Crème or Strawberry Crème or Orange Crème Shake and whirl away - it makes it thick and frosty shake, it is filling and nutritious.

Another advantage is the products are so easy to prepare and clean up that kids can fix it themselves!

[gidar]

Thank you for the info I will have to have my son give them a try. I was thinking about getting the RTD's when I read about them. I started with the variety pack so I have just the packets right now. Do The RTD's have the same # calories etc without the water that you add to the packets or do you add water to them as well.

[DogMa]

They're about the same as the regular shakes as far as nutrition. But no, you don't need to add water. They look like little juice boxes and they each have a little wrapped straw attached. So you just pop in the straw and slurp.

Most people find them creamier than the regular shakes (but they can be less filling, since people usually add extra water/ice to the packets). They're mighty tasty, though, and very convenient.

[Nancy]

Hi, Gidar ~

"RTD" means they are ready to drink - some people refer to them as the 'Ready To Go' shakes as we do not add anything to them, just stab the foil top with the pointy end of the straw and slurp away. The RTDs are Medifast 55 shakes and contain the same nutritional analysis as the powdered shakes that you mix yourself.

One thing I might mention is the straws are telescopic - when you slide the straw from the wrapper, pull the straw taut to 'lock' it. After I 'stab' it into the box, I make sure it is firmly locked so it won't collapse inside the box and slip down inside of the box. I had my straw slip down inside a couple of times and then I had to suck my shake from the box top without the straw. It worked all right that way but I like straw slurpage more than I like boxtop slurpage!