I (re)started Medifast on December 31st. I figured I’d end the year on a good note, and start off 2012 on the right foot. And that I did. I’ve lost 7 pounds. How fantastic is that!
I say ‘re-start’ loosely, because I briefly tried the Medifast plan back in November, when after careful consideration I purchased a 2-week meal package. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to follow, and lost 10 pounds in those two weeks. When it came to placing my second order, I hesitated. Medifast, like any prepared meal plan, is not cheap. So as I always do, I put others’ needs first, and decided to wait, buying Christmas gifts with that money instead.
Fast forward 6 weeks… and now I am one of Medifast’s newest bloggers! I’ll be getting their food in exchange for weekly updates here, and on Twitter and FB.
THE PLAN
The Medifast 5 & 1 Plan basically consists of five Medifast prepared meals and one ‘lean & green’ meal each day, which I prepare myself. No counting carbs, calories, or points, though I do try to measure the food for my L&G meal.
THE FOOD
I’m enjoying the Medifast food quite a bit. There are SO many things to choose from – over 80 different foods and flavors – and I haven’t even tried half of it. Of what I’ve eaten so far, there are foods that I really like, some that I like more than others, and a few that I don’t like at all.
Back in November, I sorted everything by day. I had a small box for each day of the week, sorting each day’s food on Sunday night. This time around I’m being a little more flexible, and just sorted everything into three categories. Breakfast foods (shakes, pancakes, cappuccino), lunch (soups, sloppy joe, and chili), and snacks (pudding, bars, fruit drinks, and soft bake/brownies).
Every morning I pull out my 5 meals. I try to mix things up, because if I just go by what I feel like eating, I might end up consuming all my chocolate shakes the first week. And I would greatly regret that for the duration of the month!
I especially look forward to the aforementioned shakes, the bars, brownies, and chocolate chip soft bake. Yum. But the oatmeal, for instance. Dislike. I wouldn’t eat regular oatmeal either, though, so this isn’t a surprise. I may be weird, but I just don’t like the warm mushiness of it! That said, you give me an oatmeal cookie and I’m all over it. So that’s what I made with my Medifast oatmeal, following a recipe printed on the box.
For lunch I generally reach for something not sweet. Chili and chicken noodle soup hit the spot on these cold winter afternoons. Sometimes I’ll put a dollop of sour cream on my chili, or a squeeze of lemon in my soup. I’m allowed up to two servings of healthy fats and 3 condiments a day on the plan.
LEAN & GREEN
Dinner is the one meal of the day that I cook from scratch. It doesn’t have to be dinner, but I prefer it this way because it’s the one meal we always eat together as a family. Breakfast is almost always eaten in a rush, lunch is usually only my youngest daughter and I, so dinner is the ideal time for my lean & green meal. This meal consists of a 5 to 7 oz portion of a lean protein and three servings of veggies. Pictured below is one dinner I had this week – an egg white omelette with spinach and a tiny amount of ham, just for flavor. I topped it with a little sour cream and hot sauce, and served it with steamed broccoli. It was the first time I had used liquid egg whites, and while I’m usually not big on eggs, it was a nice alternative to my usual meat or chicken. Delicious and super filling!
Sometimes I split my L&G up throughout the day, if I’m feeling extra hungry – some broccoli with my sloppy joe, for example – but usually load up on the green stuff at dinner. This is really making me appreciate just how good vegetables are! I’ve decided to introduce one new veggie a week. This week: kale. So easy and simple to make… I can’t believe I had never tried it before! Similar to spinach in both texture and flavor.
HOW I FEEL
The first few week I was definitely up and down energy-wise. Day 1 I felt great. Day 2 I had a debilitating headache. Day 3 I was full of energy. Day 4 not so much. I don’t think I felt completely normal until the 7th day, when I realized that I wasn’t hungry or thinking about food 24/7.
Starting the plan on New Year’s Eve was risky, but I’m glad I did. I had some wine that night, a couple of bites of dessert, but was otherwise good, having eaten my 5 Medifast meals earlier in the day. On Tuesday – my third day on the plan – we went out to dinner. The Cheesecake Factory. Yeah, I know. What was I thinking, right?! I shared the ahi carpaccio app with my husband, and ordered the chicken lettuce wrap tacos for my dinner. Delicious and definitely lean and green.
I’ve never stayed on any diet program for more than 4 weeks, but these challenges, as minor as they may seem, have really made me believe that I can do this. It’s all about choices, and having 5 out of 6 pretty much made up for me is a huge help.
WATER
I’ve replaced mindless eating with mindless water drinking, and it’s awesome. Just yesterday Maura asked me if I “want to marry” my water bottle. I guess it’s obvious that I love it that much! It’s always within reach, especially when I’m watching TV or on my computer. I should drink at least 64 oz a day, but I can easily take in three 24oz bottles, not including the water I serve myself in a glass at mealtime, or what I add to the Medifast meals. The bottle you choose – mine happens to be a Camelbak – makes a big difference, in my opinion. Find the right one for you and you’ll be guzzling water down, too!
EXERCISE
We bit the bullet and bought both a treadmill AND an elliptical the last week of December from Sears. Our original plan was just to buy a treadmill, but the prices were right, so we ended up going for two lower-end machines instead of one fancy schmancy one. They were delivered this weekend, and broken in right away!
Medifast recommends cutting your exercise program in half the first few weeks, to allow your body to adjust to the new calorie level, so that’s what I’ve been doing. While I didn’t do much the first week, other than Just Dance on the Xbox a couple of times, I’ve started adding daily cardio on the treadmill and/or elliptical. 15-20 minutes at a time, eventually working up to a half hour. So far most of it has been on the treadmill, because – dang! – the elliptical is hard!
MY WEIGHT
- Starting weight: 211.6 lbs
- Weight lost week one: 7 lbs
- Still to go: 45 lbs
REWARD
For every 5 lbs lost, I’ll get myself a little somethin’! 😉 First up? These beautiful silver earrings from Island Cowgirl. “Great things lie within,” is written on them. This post is long enough, so I’ll go more into what the rest of my rewards will be next week.
COMING UP
I’m sooooo close to reaching the infamous ‘onederland’…. under 5 pounds away! Will I make it there this week? On average, people lose 2-5 pounds per week on the Medifast plan, so we shall see. I’m also looking forward to talking with a Medifast nutritionist soon, and I’ll let you know how that goes next week.
Disclosure: I receive free product in order to evaluate and comment on my experiences on the Medifast Program. Medifast products and the Medifast Program are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. Any medical improvements noted while on the program are related to weight loss in general, and not to Medifast products or programs.
i have read about kelly’s amazing success on medifast & wish you the same awesome success! sounds like you are in the zone — mind, body & soul!
cyn´s last blog post ..another 30 days of kickin’ ass (measurements & photos)