Week 1 Medifast

I am very happy to report that I made it through the first week...mostly with flying colors!  The plan itself was not hard to stick to...for me anyway.  The only issue with the first week was finding ways to prepare the Medifast meals in a way that was appealing without blowing through my daily condiment allowance of 3. 

The Internet is an amazing tool and I really enjoyed reading other peoples blogs...those very passionate about Medifast and those with helpful tips on how to make the food enjoyable.  I also learned that every one's tastes are different.  An item that one blogger or reviewer like or loved, someone else may have reported it to be gross.  An example is the Medifast oatmeal.  The first blogs I read talked about how gross it was, etc.  So I took their advice and made muffins out of the oatmeal packet.  The muffins were good ... but finally I realized there was no reason not to try the oatmeal au natural...and when I did ... it was okay.

I think the secret is that a lot of the food (soups, oatmeal) need to be rehydrated and mixed well so that they are not lumpy and hard.  With that I just learned to let both of those items sit for a while before preparing. 

For the soup I tried these approaches, both with equal success:

1. Add water ( I would add just enough water to make a smooth paste or rue consistency...then slowly incorporate the rest so there are no lumps) and just keep in the fridge overnight and heat when ready.  This approach worked very well...it just involves pre-planning .. something I only did once!
2. Follow the same "rue" technique as above but blend the soup with boiling water (make rue with cold, then add hot to get the full 6-8 oz) and let it sit for 30 mins or so.  Reheat if needed.  This worked pretty well for me and did not require much prep on my part.  Perfect, as I am not a great planner.

The shakes were a bit tricky for me.  I did not really like them at first (still don't) but I have been able to get them down.  I purchased the Magic Bullet style blender for the shakes, but believe it or not, the Blender Bottles (those shaker bottles with the metal whisk like ball) made the best shake.  This approach will not work if you are big into adding ice...but I found the ice annoying as bigger chunks would get stuck in my straw!  With the blender bottle prep I am able to drink the shakes and the prep/clean up is a snap.

Tip for the Blender Bottle -- Add VERY cold water (I usually drain ice water), then add powder, THEN put the ball in and shake like hell!  It only took about 20 seconds to get it good and blended. NOT ONE LUMP.  It was great.

So ... how did I feel?  The first few days were not great.  I was light headed a bit and had a headache.  Nothing unbearable, but it was noticeable.  On Medifast you are eating every 2-3 hours, so it isn't hard to look forward to your next mean and never really get to a point of being really hungry.  On about day 5 I noticed I was feeling pretty energetic.  Most days I don't even have morning coffee...I don't need it!  I do sometimes have a cup in the afternoons as a treat and a way to get a boost.  Don't get me wrong, I am NOT a big coffee drinker.  I like one perfect 8 oz cup of Sumatra Reserve or Dark Magic (k-cup) with one packet of Splenda and a tiny bit of non-dairy creamer.  If I were drinking 8 cups a day, I would probably not be as pleased with my occasional cup! 

Dinner, or my Lean and Green meal has been the most challenging part of my day, this I anticipated.  I am not a planner so several nights I was left trying to figure out what to eat.  I made some icky dry chicken that I didn't love and ate a few salads, but I managed.  To be honest, I had a lot of canned green beans.  If they were regular (meaning not reduced sodium) I would drain and rinse them before cooking.  This works for me.  It isn't exciting ... and most people would not dig it ... but it works for me.

So ... weight loss for week 1?  5.3 lbs!!!  I am very pleased with that number.  Many people have a huge loss in the first week due to water weight ...but given I have been dieting since Jan, I don't think I did.  The next few weeks will be the test, however. 

That is all for now. I could write a book, but not sure any one is reading ... and I will have something to go on about next time I sit down.

-allison