The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[doglover]

I am not sure I did the posting right on earlier today, so if this is a repeat I'm sorry! Just a quick update. Today is Day 9 and I am down 7.5 lbs! I am thrilled. It would have taken me months to get that off before!

Now to the questions! First, does anyone else experience "hungry days" and what do you do about them? Today I am back to being hungry a lot! I put in an extra snack this afternoon bec. I was so hungry and now after dinner I am starving again! I ate 1 hr 45 min ago. No idea why. Please help on that with some ideas.

Second, would I totally mess up the plan if I added a small salad to the complete fast? The reason is that I am not a big meat lover and chicken and lean beef will get very boring after a while! I cannot eat fish due to allergies. But I also don't want to be on the complete program for 5-6 weeks straight. I was thinking of varying the complete w/ the 5:1 so that I am having meat a couple/few times a week. But then thought about just adding a salad to the complete plan. Any ideas? Also anything else that I can substitute for meat? Peamnut butter?

Thanks again for any and all help! You guys are great!
Donna

[24KaratGold]

Nancy encourages people to (1) have an additional shake if they get hungry -- so go have one RIGHT NOW! LOL -- and (2) to have a small salad with a splash of non or lo-fat dressing on it. That keeps the digestion working.

I'm pretty sure peanut butter is a big nono. Lots of fat. An allergy to fish is a major bummer, no doubt. I'm still unclear on the status of eggs, but maybe Nancy will step in to straighten it out.

You can go back and forth from the complete fast to the 5 and 1, too, if you want. I normally do the 5 and 1, but I have a class tonight which makes it easier for me just to do the complete program today.

Congrats on your weight loss!

P.S., don't forget that you can also have two dill pickles (or two gherkins sweetened with SPLENDA -- make sure they are not the ones made with sugar!), three stalks of celery, and two cups of bouillon every day. They help keep the hungries at bay, too.

[doglover]

I was thinking Peanut Butter might be a no-no That is my WEAKNESS!

What are gherkins? I've never heard of that! I think I'm off to get some bouillon! I am feeling really tired again and want to be sure not to mess myself up like last weekend!

By the way - MAJOR successes! Went to lunch w/ a friend and ordered a salad w/ all the "right stuff" and asked the waitress to bring the to go box w/ the meal. I dumped 3/4 of the salad into it and ate only my allowed portion. I then brought home the left overs and my husband and daughter enjoyed them! Second success was truly resisting the chocolate my son won at school for valentines. A jar full of choc. covered peanut butter. MAJOR temptation, but I resisted!!!

Thanks again for the answers!
Donna

[24KaratGold]

You can buy davinci's sugar free peanut butter flavored syrup. Splash some on your Medi-oatmeal, or mix it into your shakes. Especially mix it with the DC shakes -- Reese's!!

[jene115]

There's also a peanut butter bar that you can order. Gherkins are sweet pickles, smaller than dills. There are baby gherkins which are really tiny too. Mt. Olive makes some with Splenda. I was having two every time with my MF chili. I don't like dill so I'm thankful for the gherkins made with Splenda.

[Nancy]

Donna ~

Absolutely NO peanut butter!

I'd like to look at your daily plan so I can figure out why you might be hungry since you are 9 days into the program.

For the complete program, people usually have 5-6 Medifast meal replacements per day.

It is all right to have a small green salad if you are on the Complete Meal Replacement Program.

Bouillon or Fast soup and the Multi-grain crackers are NOT a meal replacement; they are snacks.

You may have 2 dill pickles, three stalks of celery and 2 cups of bouillon or 2 servings of Fast Soups per day on the 5/1 Plan and on the Complete Meal Replacement program.

If you are hungry, have another shake. Mix it in the blender until it really creamy and then add ice - it makes a greater volume.

Sometimes excess stomach acid can make the stomach growly and feel empty. Consider taking a Pepcid or Tagamet to control stomach acid and see if that helps.

You may have any lean meat - chicken, beef, pork - we often have grilled lean chorkpops.

Tofu can be used in the "lean protein" portion of meal. If using firm tofu use only a 1/4 of the block and if using soft tofu you can have 1 2" x 1" piece.

Can you have sea food at all? or are you allergic to all fish and shellfish, too? Shrimp and crab can be pricey but they make a nice change once in a while.

Eggs can be used as part of the 5 and 1 plan in the protein portion. A person can use, 1/2 c of egg substitute, 2 egg whites, or 2 eggs. If you are having two full eggs a day don't do this more than 2-3 times a week do to the cholesterol level and slight carbohydrate level.

re:

The reason is that I am not a big meat lover and chicken and lean beef will get very boring after a while!

You know, I think 'getting tired' of certain food items is a mindset. Have you ever gotten tired of peanut butter, pizza, tacos or French fries?

I had Orange Pineapple and Dutch Chocolate shakes 5 times a day for more than three months, I have had Dutch Chocolate shakes for 2.5 years. If my shakes tasted like swamp water or cat doo, I'd still have 'em every single day of my life because they make me feel great, the calories are low and they enable me to maintain my weight - for the first time in my life!

[bk]

i had arumbly hungry tummy around my 2nd week of program. i took a pepcid or some such and it totally went away. i was willing to have an extra supplement, but that seemed to fix my problem!

[doglover]

Well, today I discovered something! Yesterday I think I was so hungry as I forgot that the complete program is 6 meals and not 5!! For a couple days I had only 5 supplements! Yikes! So today, when I was hungry again and trying to evaluate what was going on I did a mental checklist and realized I was one shy! So I ate another shake at 3 and wa-la! I am not hungry! Too funny. We get so busy and I just wasn't thinking! Anyway, I am back on track and just rec'd my second 2-week supply so am going to try some pudding tonight! I am so excited!

I figured on the peanut butter - just needed to hear it "out loud".

And Nancy, thanks for hitting the nail on the head with your quote:
Have you ever gotten tired of peanut butter, pizza, tacos or French fries?
You are so smart!

I feel so anxious to get on that scale but am TRYING to resist until Sun. I would like to join the Sun. weigh in!

Ok, now for more questions! Nancy said the complete program has 5-6 MEAL REPLACEMENTS per day. She then said that soup, crackers and bouillon are not MEAL REPLACEMENTS but snacks. So I have been eating 5 (for the 5:1 plan) or 6 (for the complete program) white packets per day. I have added 1 cup of buillon but am afraid that I still may not be doing this right! I can't imagine the elegance of actually eating more! Hmm. So...do I eat 5 shakes, bars (I know only 1 per day) pudding, etc and then can STILL have a soup/bouillon/pickles/etc?? I think I will be eating constantly, but am not complaining! Please fill me in on VERY specific instructions. I also am anxious to finish work so I can dig into the book I ordered!

Thanks! Donna

[24KaratGold]

Ok, now for more questions! Nancy said the complete program has 5-6 MEAL REPLACEMENTS per day. She then said that soup, crackers and bouillon are not MEAL REPLACEMENTS but snacks. So I have been eating 5 (for the 5:1 plan) or 6 (for the complete program) white packets per day. I have added 1 cup of buillon but am afraid that I still may not be doing this right! I can't imagine the elegance of actually eating more! Hmm. So...do I eat 5 shakes, bars (I know only 1 per day) pudding, etc and then can STILL have a soup/bouillon/pickles/etc?? I think I will be eating constantly, but am not complaining! Please fill me in on VERY specific instructions. I also am anxious to finish work so I can dig into the book I ordered!

Thanks! Donna

Yuppers, the bouillon, pickles, and celery are extras, and you can have them in addition to your Medi-meals. "Soup" in this context means one of the FastSoups from Medifast, Savory Beef or Robust Tomato. You can have one packet of the Medifast crackers a day as a snack, too, along with everything else.

Plus, go over to the Lean Cuisine forum. You'll find lots of ideas on how to "mess with" your Medifast supplements to make them just as tasty as you like. DaVinci no-calories syrups are one big favorite, and you'll even find a recipe for making Oatmeal Cookies out of the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. Yummy!

[doglover]

What about the drinks? I ordered the mango fruit drink. Is that an extra snack or one of the 5-6 meals? I now see the difference on the soups. Thanks for clearing that up! But I was using crackers as a meal! Man oh man! There are just so many product (GOOD THING!) that it is confusing sometimes! But again, I'm thrilled for the variety!
Donna

[24KaratGold]

Here's what the Medifast site says about the mango fruit drink (and gee, I had missed seeing that that was there; thanks for pointing it out to me, it sounds yummy!):

Medifast fruit drinks are crisp, refreshing and provide 100% of Vitamins C and D. Medifast Fruit Drinks provide yet another option in your weight loss or maintenance program.

These 90-calorie meals can be used once a day in place of a shake. With 15 grams of protein and only 10 carbs, Medifast Fruit Drinks provide great nutrition with new, invigorating flavors.

So it's a meal replacement, and counts as one of your supplements, and you are supposed to have only one a day.

[NikkiNix]

Hello Donna,

I was just telling Nancy the other day how I had cheated for three days straight I was feeling really guilty and I was so bumed out. I was really hungry and I felt even with my 6 shakes I couldn't control my hungries. My reason for being so ravenous was because my monthly is coming up and I have some major munchie issues. Chocolate and pizza and french fries O MY . I feel like I can't keep it under control when it's that time of the month and she had suggested on getting the appetite suppresent shakes for when it's that time. I will definately have to try this for next month. I am glad the extra shake helped. Even tonight I was having a hard time staying on the plan and I looked to my family for advice. My husband had simply said you can go through some pain now and reach your goal or you can eat and be happy and not succeed. This really struck a cord with me because in the past my family would just say we don't want to see ya unhappy so lets go out to eat and that would be that but since I asked them for serious support so I can succeed they were right there to encourage me. Now I actually cried and felt angry for a minute and then I took a hot bath and I sat in that tub and thought about what my husband really had said and it made since. If something was easy we would have all lost weight years ago but something that takes some effort is worth the fight because in the end we will end up winning. So I didn't cheat tonight and it was a small victory but still a victory. Just think you were eating the crackers as a meal and then you were only having 5 a day so that means you were only having 4 shakes a day not a good thing on the full-fast no wonder you were starving. I am aslo on the full-fast and I can't even think about salad because once I start to put something in my mouth I end up going off the deep end. I am one of those just one taste people, just one taste ends up a day of bingeing for me. 7.5lbs in a week is awesome you are doing so great just keep up the good work and make sure you get at least 5 shakes or meal replacements in if you are on the full-fast. You can have any 5 that includes the soups and chilli. You can have 5 soups a day if you really wanted to but they do say it's good to have at least 3 shakes so you can get in the nutriants that you lose when heating the soups and chilli up. Any way that's my 2 cents worth.

Good luck
Nikki

[Karen]

those small victories like tonite will add up to total success before you know it! Great going...

[NikkiNix]

Thanks Karen,

I see you have lost over 50lbs in 14 weeks. That is amazing and encourageing. I will keep trying to have them victories every day.


Your friend,
Nikki

[Nancy]

Nikki Nix ~

Woo hoo! You had a great victory and let’s give the husband a hug for giving you some straight from the hip counsel – it is NOW that we do the work that reaps the excellent results for TOMORROW! Good job!

Donna ~

We are so glad that you are a part of the MakeMeThinner Forum and that you come here often to learn the things that will help you to be successful! While you are in the learning-how-to-do-Medifast part of the program, we know that there are many questions that pop up. When a person is new, it seems like there is so much a person needs to know and while I am happy to answer questions, it is important to read the Quick Start booklet that comes with your initial order of products to help you to become familiar with the program and the products.

Here is a list of the Medifast meal replacement products. These are to be used by people on the 5 and 1 weight loss program, by people on the complete meal replacement program for weight loss and for people who are on weight maintenance. Unless otherwise specified, these are the ‘Fives’ of the 5 and 1 Program; the ‘meals’ of the complete Meal Replacement Program.

Medifast 55 and Medifast 70 shakes - all flavors

Ready-to-Drink 55 Shakes - both flavors

Medifast Supplement Bars – all flavors

Medifast Plus for Appetite Suppression Shakes

Medifast Plus for Diabetics Shakes

Medifast Plus For Diabetics Bars – both flavors

Medifast Plus For Coronary Health Shakes

Medifast Plus For Joint Health Shakes

Medifast Plus For Women’s Health Shakes

Medifast Creamy Soups• Cream of Broccoli
• Cream of Chicken
• Cream of Tomato

Medifast Homestyle Chili

Medifast Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Medifast Chicken Noodle Soup

Medifast Minestrone Soup
Medifast Hearty Oatmeal • Apple Cinnamon
• French Vanilla Berry
• Apple & Brown Sugar

Medifast Pudding
• Chocolate
• Banana Cream

Medifast Hot Cocoa
• with Marshmallows
• without Marshmallows

Medifast Coffees
• Instant Cappuccino
• Chai Latte

Medifast Iced Teas
• Peach
• Raspberry

Medifast Fruit Drinks
• Tropical Punch
• Cranberry Mango

Take Shape Weight Maintenance Shakes• Outrageous Chocolate
• Luscious Vanilla
• Strawberry Passion

Sports Nutrition Shakes for Women Shakes

***Note the following are considered to be Medifast “1” products – the 1s of the 5 and 1 Program for weight loss ***
ESSENTIAL 1 MEALS – sold ready to eat in sealed packages that need no refrigeration
• Chicken Salad - packaged in a foil pouch, ready to eat. Just rip off the top! Premixed with light mayo and seasonings. Sold individually. May be used by people on the 5 and 1 weight loss program as part of the Lean and Green meal with the addition of a small green salad and 1.5 cups of cooked vegetables. NOT to be used as one of the 5 meal replacements on the 5 and 1 program. • Tuna Salad - packaged in sealed foil pouch and sold individually. Premixed with light mayo and seasonings. May be used by people on the 5 and 1 weight loss program as part of the Lean and Green meal with the addition of a small green salad and 1.5 cups of cooked vegetables. NOT to be used as one of the 5 meal replacements on the 5 and 1 program.

• Grilled Chicken Breasts - packaged two servings per box. Add boiling water to reconstitute, wait a few minutes and eat. Must add a small green salad and 1.5 cups of cooked vegetables to make it the nutritionally balanced meal for the “1” of the Lean and Green meal for the 5 and 1 Program.
• Grilled Beef Patties - packaged two servings per box. Add boiling water to reconstitute. Must add a small green salad and 1.5 cups of cooked vegetables to make it the Lean and Green “1” meal for the 5 and 1 Program.



~ SNACKS ~ These are NOT meal replacements ~ ~ SNACKS ~

Medifast Fast Soups – these come packaged with 14 servings/packets per box. You may have 1-2 packets per day. These are NOT meal replacements but are to be eaten in addition to the regular Medifast meal replacements. They can be used by people on the 5 and 1 and also on the complete meal replacement weight loss programs and for weight maintenance. Add boiling water, stir and slurp. The tomato and the beef are good chilled as well as hot.
• Savory Beef Fast Soup
• Delicate Chicken Fast Soup
• Robust Tomato Fast Soup

Medifast Crackers - packaged 7 packets per box. You may have 1 packet per day. These are NOT meal replacements but rather snacks to be eaten in addition to the regular Medifast meal replacement products. They can be used by people on the 5 and 1, the complete meal replacement program for weight loss and also for weight maintenance.
• Multi-grain
• Garden Vegetable

Extras Extras Extras DRESSINGS Extras Extras Extras

Medifast Salad Dressings – packaged 14 packets per box. You may use the dressing for the weight loss program and for weight maintenance. You mix the packets with water and vinegar for the no fat version; with water, vinegar and canola or olive oil for the low-fat version. The dressings are good drizzled on cooked or raw veggies and meat, as a marinade for meat and fish, as well as on green salads.
• Creamy Italian
• Caesar
• Ranch
• Honey Dijon


Additional Snacks for people on the 5 and 1 or the Complete Meal replacement Programs and for maintenance
• 3 stalks of celery
• 2 dill pickles
• 2 cups of bouillon
• Crystal Light, diet pop, other sugar-free beverages
• Coffee
• tea