The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[junglejane]

Hey,Dogma, it is nice to meet you! I just wanted to jump in here and say you should never take anything here personally. I know it seemed implied but I know Nancy would not directly or indirectly insult anyone. Don't worry, everyone opens up a can of worms around here once in a while. This is how I learn stuff on the forum. I wait for Nancy to chime in with advice and I store it away.

Keep up the great work!

[DogMa]

Thanks, Jane. And it's OK, I'm not miffed or anything. I just wanted to clarify. Although if Nancy comes back here, I do have one question. When they say to do half the workout, do they mean half the intensity or half the time?

[Nancy]

The maximum time for a workout is suggested to be about 45 minutes but there is a big difference in the amount of calories burned for a person who takes a brisk walk compared to a person who runs.


It’s just good to think about the amount of calories a person is taking in while on the 5 and 1 Program – which is usually 850-980 or so and then consider the amount of calories burned during their workout.

Generally to get the benefit of aerobic exercise it is good to sustain it for 20-30 minutes.

We each have different things to consider – age, weight, state of health, medications, etc. Just be reasonable in the intensity and the duration for your caloric intake.

Generally people who normally exercise can tell when they are pushing themselves to their limits. It is so important to maintain adequate hydration levels; you may need the Medifast Fast Soup or bouillon.

It is hard for me to answer you specifically regarding the intensity of your workout level. I am not trying to skirt the issue, I would just say that initially until your body has adjusted to utilizing its stored energy, I’d suggest doing both – cut the intensity and the duration in half and see how things go.

You may want to consider using one of the Sports Nutritional shakes for Women as one of your meal replacements if you do have a vigorous workout but you indicate that you do not like the shakes.

For most overweight people, taking a walk most every day is a good way to establish the habit of exercise and once they reach a lower weight they are able to step up the intensity and the duration a bit.

Exercising most every day is needful for transition and maintenance.

Our programs have been shown to help people to lose weight safely and quickly while providing the necessary nutrition and calories when used according to the plan.

I'm sure that you are missing your exercise routine very much. I feel antsy when I don't get to the YMCA. Most people that we advise are not people who regularly exercise and they are attracted to Medifast because they can lose weight without buying a gym membership.

[Paula]

Hi Dogma and welcome to the forum! I'm not crazy about the shakes either but I've found a couple of things that I really, really like. My favorite is to use sugar-free Tang and a vanilla shake, I use about 5 oz of water and a large cup of ice, a packet of Splenda and blend on high in my blender. It makes a real thick, rich orange shake. I think it tastes just like those things they serve at Sonic (if they have Sonic where you live.) You have to add Tang to taste, there's no way to measure, but when you get the right amount in there (more is better to me) then it's really great. I love it. I don't really like it with Crystal Light, but the sugar-free Tang is great. They sell it at Kroger down here. The other thing I like to do is mix the choc. shake with very little water and a splash of Davinci Coconut syrup. It tastes more like dark chocolate and I like the texture better than the pudding. Of course it's not as much to eat and you need to drink a bottle of water along with it, but I still enjoy that more than having it mixed as a shake. Just a couple of suggestions you could try. I hope you find a way to enjoy the shakes, sometimes they are just easier and with the weather getting hot you might find them more refreshing. Good luck on the program. This is a great place for support so keep coming back.

[DogMa]

Thanks, Paula, I'll try both of those. And thanks, Nancy. I'm lucky enough to have a free gym at work, so that helps a lot.

Weight aside, I just feel better when I do it and I know it's better for my heart (and like I said, it's nice to be able to lift those cartons of bottled water, not to mention my dogs!). And I know how hard it is (at least for me) to start exercising, so I don't want to get out of the habit and have to start all over later on. I'll try the other shakes, though, too; I just got the MF 70 shakes (which say they're for more active women) in banana and strawberry. I didn't like the banana much better than the chocolate, but I'm still choking down at least one a day. And maybe Paula's method will help.

I have to say, I'm surprised at how well I feel so far. I expected to have a harder time adjusting.

[DogMa]

Small update: I finally found a way to tolerate the shakes, and maybe even almost enjoy them.

Someone somewhere here suggested mixing it with Crystal Light. I used the pre-mixed kind rather than the powder, and voila! The chocolate flavor with Raspberry Crystal Light instead of water was actually pretty good.

I also realized I was following the lean/green directions in the booklet Medifast sent with my order, which apparently is outdated, so tonight I'll be having 7 ounces of chicken instead of 5.

[oregonrose]

HI! I reaslly like the vanilla shake mixed with diet soda-- and I put a little sweetener and a drop of al mond flavor into the chocolate-- really not too bad. I liked the idea that someone had to mix thte banana and the strawberry together and then slpit them. sounds good! good luck, nancy