Sunday, October 13, 2013

My Favorite Medifast Hacks

I'm starting Week 3 today and still going strong. This has to be the easiest and most rewarding diet I have ever tried. Aside from always feeling full and not craving disallowed foods, the online support for Medifast is amazing.

Oh, and did I mention I've lost 8 pounds!

My first Medifast shipment arrived with a month's worth of food and the Medifast Quick Start Guide, but that turned out to be just the beginning. Being creative with Medifast has become a popular game. People all over the web share their hacks on the Medifast forums, Facebook groups and other websites. When I become stuck, I simply search for a solution.

For instance, no matter how hard I tried I could not make my chocolate chip soft bakes look or taste  like anything similar to the photo on the package. I belong to a Facebook Medifast buy/sell/trade group and asked for some tips. Turns out some people turn these into shakes or muffins. My favorite idea, though, was freezing the dough instead of baking it. In 30 minutes I had a delicious frozen treat that was a cross between candy and ice cream. Tonight I plan to try another suggestion, baking a mixture of the brownie and chocolate chip cookie soft bakes and dividing it up into two meals.

I found the chili too bland for my taste so I took some people's advice and added cumin, garlic powder and a smidge of salt. The mac cheese, meanwhile, is okay as is. But it's almost decadent with a low fat Laughing Cow melted in.

Then there's my free Medifast Take Shape for Life (TSFL) coach, who calls me on the phone once a week. She lost over 100 pounds six years ago and knows all the ins and outs of the program. Even though I don't really need a lot of support at this point, she has an answer to any question I throw at her -- from how to consume enough water (drink 8 oz. before/after/with each meal and a couple of extra 8 oz. glasses between meals) to how to make the chili beans softer (soak for at least a half hour before cooking). Her once a week phone call also makes me accountable to someone without having to join a weight loss center.

So far, my two favorite non-Medifast websites have been SlimKicker, which has its own Medifast group with oodles of tips and recipes, and 3 fat chicks on a diet, which also has a hack-packed Medifast forum.

I've also done Google searches for "Medifast Trader Joe's" and picked up some great ideas for easy Lean & Green meal ideas using that store's specialty items. TJ's Chicken Curry was heavenly over a mixture of collard greens and chopped broccoli. I didn't even miss the rice. Ditto for their Chicken Asada.

I will be adding more Medifast hacks as I happen on them. In the meantime, what are some of the tricks that make Medifast work better for you?

Update Oct. 14, 2013

Thanks for the RT, Medifast!


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