The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Alison]

Hi all,
I have been on MF for 13 weeks now and lost 29 lbs!! I am thrilled. I just wanted to impart some of my experiences in hopes that they may be of some help to a few of you.
#1 artificle sweetners really slowed my weightloss. I limit myself to about 5 packets a day.
#2 Uping my shakes from 5 to 6 a day when I workout has improved my weightloss.
#3 I read in the MF newsletter you get w/your products that if you exercise over 30 minutes your body burns not just carbs and fat but pure fat so I go for 45 and it has totally reshaped my body.
#4 My skin has gotten a bit hanging so I have been using Neutrogena Visibly Firm body lotion and from someone who has tried everything it really does help- even the cellulite! (I bought it at Walgreens I am sure you could get it in any drugstore)
#5 I also use Stri-Vectin-SD a topical cream that was developed for stretch marks but apparently everyone is using it now for wrinkles. This is expensive but amazing. I got it at GNC.

That's all folks! Just wanted to give some friendly advice. Take care and hang in there!!
ALison

[Sylvia]

Way to go Alison!

I've been on the program 7 weeks and am beginning to ramp up my exercise. So far I've been taking it slow - about 20 to 25 mins on a stationary bike about 4 times a week and just a general increase in my activity level. I'd really like to increase this and also add some work with weights. Would you mind sharing what you are doing in terms of exercise and how/when you are adding your 6th shake?

Congrats on your success and thanks for sharing.

Sylvia

[Alison]

Hi Sylvia,
Well when I first started MF I was a regular exerciser. I adopted this habit about 5 years ago when I meet my husband who has incorporated exercise into his lifestyle. Prior to meeting him I smoked a pack and a half a day and NEVER exercised!! Honestly I had no stamina and was mortified of the gym. It took about 3 months to not dread working out. I also had a partner to walk with me to a gym which is the soul reason I began and stuck to my exercise regiment. Now I need 3 days a week or I get restless. BTW exercise without food control does not a thin person make!! I am proof positive I ran the NY marathon 3 years ago carrying some major extra pounds. But it will tone you and help to maintain weighloss!! Now back to my regimen. The 1st 4 weeks on MF I did only light 30 minute workouts (on the bike ) about 3x's a week which is less than half of the norm for me. I now do 30 minutes 3or 4x a week on this machine not the eliptical but it kind of like a nordic track with no arms! I make sure I go slow enough to not raise my heartrate above weightloss level into cardio level. This is important I always moniter my heartrate. I then do 10-15 minute of lifting. 8 pound freeweights for biceps, triceps and shoulders, 60 lb on leg extension and hamstrings, inner and outer thighs 3x a week. I am not working now so the usual activity people get running around all day I lack! so I walk when I can too. One more thing if you are like me and have a much smaller upper half then lower half the slim in 6 videos you see on TV really reshape you!! They are really hard I did the whole six weeks over a year ago and even though I didn't lose weight it all moved to better spots. Now I do the video once every 2 weeks. If I workout at all I have an extra shake. If I workout more than 45 minutes and lift weights I have 2. MF is loaded with protein therefore I have kept my muscle tone and even built muscle. (No I am not muscle woman like a female Arnold or anything) Any diet I have ever been on has eaten away my muscle and left the fat. Not with MF- I am acually smaller at my weight now then when I weighed 10 pounds less!! This is awesome I want to weigh as much as I can w/o the fat because muscle burns more cals. than fat and it is important as we age for posture and bone support and it does help with the lose skin which I have from years of unhealthy yo-yo dieting.
Good luck all
Alison

[MomJackieLee]

I had already started exercising before MF. I did keep it fairly low key for the first three weeks. This week I have felt much more energetic and I have added light weight training to my yoga and cardio. I have been doing pretty well on cardio, up to 25 min on eliptical or bike. I may decrease intensity a bit and go for more time for fat burning on the cardio. I am really enjoying the weights (especially this one ab crunch machine as it is really working my lower abs). This is such a foreign concept to me...actually looking forward to the workout. Thanks for the hints, Allison.

[Ria]

Hi Alison,

Very helpful post! I had a vey streneous exercise regime before I started Medifast. However, when I started the program I cut way down to walking 2-3 miles per day, 3-4 days a week. In my fourth week I added back some weights (2 lbs) for side leg lifts and arm workout. I am absolutley afraid to do more weights than that as I am afraid that the weight on the scale wont come off as fast as I would like. This is one of my goals.

For the last two weeks I have made use of my pilates ball to do butt lifts, and abs (lower, upper and obliques). It is working out great since I get the same toning effects as I would with weights.

Thanks again for the great post.

184/172/130

[hawaiiwhatnot]

ALoha Alison,

Very helpful post indeed. However, could you explain the heart rates you discussed, i.e., "not raise my heartrate above weightloss level into cardio level"? What are the numbers associated with weightloss and cardio levels? Mahalo! Camille

[Carrie]

Hi Alison,

Thanks! I've been worrying a bit about the skin thing lately - and didn't know if any of the creams worked. You can bet I'm gonna pick some up now.

I'm also going to start my exercising when I get back from vacation. I'll be joining a curves type place. the videos you mentioned - what kind of exercise is it? I'm on a third floor so I couldn't do any bouncing around - but I could do stretching type stuff.

THanks!
Carrie

[Alison]

Hi all,
The heartrate info is based on your weight and age. Honestly I just read my heart rate from holding on to the machines and letting them do the work. I think Carrie is a nurse. She might be able to tell you the formula for you ideal heart rate. Slim and 6 are videos that are based on 6 weeks of working out 6 days a week. They combine Tae-bo yoga and light aerobics. They involve a lot of squats which narrow the thighs and butt. I am telling you it is the only thing that works for saddlebags! I have a bad knee so I avoid anything that involves bouncing. This is more controlled then the typical aerobics but it is tough. I think they even have a website beachbody.com (nice name huh?) Yoga is great too I just don't have the patience!
Keep shaking and also try to massage whatever skin firming cream you use into your skin until it dissolves. It breaks up any cellulite and helps bring more circulation back into the surface of the skin.
Glad my post was helpful!
Alison