Can you drink alcohol on Medifast?

One of the most common question people ask me about Medifast (besides Is that the diet where you only drink milkshakes?) is if it's okay to have some wine or other favorite adult beverage and still lose weight.

The answer is yes.

And no.

The carbs in alcohol can take you out of ketosis, the fat burning state that is the magic behind Medifast and other low carb, high protein diets.

When I first started Medifast, however, I didn't want to give up my nightly drink so I just limited it to one or two ounces of wine or gin. When I went out to dinner, I ordered a Bloody Mary, which is one of the low carb crowd's recommended adult beverages. And I still managed to lose weight.

Many low carbers favor Bloody Marys

But after a couple of weeks, my weight loss stalled, and my TSFL coach advised me to ditch the alcohol altogether. Since I do not fashion myself an alcoholic (oh, denial, you are not just a river in Egypt), I gamely accepted the challenge.

I subbed my night cap for hot tea or ice water, and the pounds started melting off again.

Since then, I have indulged in an occasional alcoholic beverage, with no adverse effect on my weight loss. But I do not drink reflexively, partaking only on special occasions and limiting myself to only one small, relatively low-carb drink.

As the ads always say, your results may vary. But that is my personal experience.

If you are stalled on your Medifast weight loss and having a nightly cheat drink, consider foregoing it and see if that tips the scale in your favor.

Giving Thanks to Medifast on Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for my wonderful family, loyal friends, furry pets and amazing job. But this year I have a new thing to be thankful for -- Medifast.

For the past five years I was convinced I could not lose my middle-aged fat. The media supported this myth, maintaining how difficult it is for women to shrink their menopausal bodies as their metabolism slowed down.

Don't let anyone tell you that you
can't lose weight after you turn 50

I know it's not Christmas yet, but Bah Humbug!

Trying to lose weight is not the same as doing it. Thanks to Medifast, I have lost 18 pounds of fat in less than two months, and I feel confident my final 10 will melt off by the end of January.

Oddly enough, I feel a bit guilty taking any credit for this accomplishment because it has been so easy. When people comment on how great I look, I want to tell them, "It's not me; it's Medifast."

Medifast is so simple, convenient and flexible, even a monkey could follow this diet. The food does not taste wonderful at first, but over time my taste buds acclimated, and I began looking forward to my lunch time bowl of macaroni and cheese with a creamy Laughing Cow wedge melted in the middle and my chocolatey brownie batter night cap. In fact, I can totally picture still including Medifast foods in my diet for the rest of my life.

Five turkey feathers for Medifast

Not only that, the Lean & Green meal portion of the Medifast plan has made me realize how little I need excess carbs in my diet. When I do start adding pasta, bread and even high glycemic vegetables and fruit back into my diet, they will be decorative accents, like throw pillows -- not the whole sofa!

Medifast has taught me a different way to diet -- one that does not involve deprivation and suffering, but the pure delight of hopping on the scale and losing yet another unwanted pound. As my old "skinny jeans" slip down from my waist, I can't believe how fortunate I was to find this amazing diet.

As for Thanksgiving itself, I look forward to enjoying a festive meal with all the trimmings, feasting on turkey and green vegetables and, most importantly, the warmth and love of my family. If I choose to indulge in a taste of this or that, so be it. It's not the end of the world. The next day I will get right back on the wagon with my Medifast oatmeal and chicken soup.

Thank you Medifast for helping me lose my excess pounds and regain my healthy weight body. On this Thanksgiving week, I award you five turkey feathers!

Best Medifast Tips Ever

I stopped blogging for a while. Got busy. MF became a WOL (way of life).

But recently I found an amazing thread on the Medifast forums called "Things I Wish I'd Known When I Started Medifast" and couldn't believe how many great ideas my fellow MFers shared. To help me remember them, I'm highlighting a few of my favorites here.

Tip: Try every food once-- if you don't like it, hold onto it and look for suggestions on the forum for ways to make it more tasty (like soaking the soups and chili). I was shocked when I tried some of the foods a second time and really liked them. Your tastebuds DO seem to change!

My Take: This is SO true. I am still waiting to try the pineapple mango smoothie again because it was that terrible, but I am determined to find a way to make it palatable.

Tip: You can call MF on the phone and purchase single meals to sample. No single packets available by the internet. 

Medifast allows you try single sample meals
so you don't waste money on a whole box.

My Take: Haven't done this yet, but it's a great idea. Why invest in a whole box if you're not sure?

Tip: You can split your lean & green.

My Take: This is a great way to eat more "normally" throughout the day. Recently I attended a meeting at which bagels and cream cheese was served with sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumbers. I ate the veggies only (with a shmear of cream cheese) and just had fewer veggies later. Couldn't believe how good it was without the bagel. Who knew?

We taste with the eyes first.
Doesn't this infused water look delicious?

Tip: If you have trouble drinking all your water, squeeze a small slice of lemon into it. It's barely a tsp, so minimal calories-- but I love the taste! Just like at a restaurant. (Similarly, try adding TRUE LEMON or TRUE LIME- ZERO calories.)

My Take: Anything you can do to drink more water is a good idea. My coach suggests drinking half my body weight in ounces, and I notice I lose more when I do. Besides lemons, I have tried cucumber and limes. Looking to buy an infuser water bottle to experiment with other interesting combos. Also found out there is a True Orange and even True Grapefruit, and you can cook with all these. See recipes here.

Tip: Dollar store plastic bowls clean the easiest.

My Take: Haven't tried this yet, but I will. My good dishes have a mystery film on them.

Tip: Don't fret if the scale doesn't move. "A stalled scale is money in the bank. It will come off next week."

My Take: This is a very motivating quote. Weight loss is so not linear.

Tip: I'd wish I'd had the good sense to keep this diet to myself and just tell everyone that I am drinking LOTS of water and eating six small meals a day and just wear a MONA LISA smile whenever someone commenting on my weight loss. It would have saved alot of unnecessary talk of is this diet healthy, you are wasting away, THAT'S your goal weight... you'll be anorexic!!!!! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

My Take: Be judicious about whom you share your weight loss method with. Some people could really benefit from this program. Skinny Minnies don't need to know.

If you're interested in learning more about how you can lose weight safely and more rapidly with the Medifast 5&1 plan, please visit my Take Shape for Life website.

Similar posts:

Medifast on Vacation

Medifast Ziti Marinara Review

Dr. Oz Diet Vs. Medifast 

Is Medifast a Scam?

After losing almost 10 pounds in two weeks, it amazes me how many people online call Medifast a scam. The last time I looked, the word scam meant "fraudulent scheme" or "swindle." Sure Medifast is expensive, but that's partly why the program is so effective. If I didn't pay a lot for the food, I'd be more likely to go Off Plan (OP). (Click here for all Medifast lingo and acronyms.)

Is Medifast a scam?

Another reason people call Medifast a scam is that many MFers regain their weight after losing it -- and then some. But that problem is not unique to Medifast. If there were one diet that was so perfect no one ever regained their weight afterward, the person who created it would be a zillionaire.

The reason people regain their weight is they do not follow the Medifast lifetime maintenance strategy, just as people who lose weight with Weight Watchers and other commercial diet programs regain their weight if they go hog wild after shedding their pounds. The Medifast program is called Take Shape for Life (TSFL) because it requires a lifetime commitment. It is not an amusement park ride from which you exit and walk away once you lose the weight.

Once you get off the Medifast diet, you cannot
just walk away and resume your former eating habits.

One of the ways Medifast helps people make the program a lifetime commitment is by offering free coaches with whom you stay in regular contact.

Virtually all of these coaches are "losers" who love to share their knowledge and experience with others while making a little money on the side. Though some people again use the "S" word to describe the TSFL coaching program -- likening it to Amway and other multi-level marketing schemes -- the upfront monetary commitment is minimal. Not only would people not be TSFL coaches if it did not make financial sense to them, the mere act of being a coach is likely a huge motivator for them to maintain their own weight.




Subscribe to Diet Skeptic Does Medifast by Email

You can purchase Medifast replacement meals directly from Medifast Centers, the Medifast website or -- for no extra cost -- through the co-branded website of a Medifast TSFL health coach. Medifast does not recommend purchasing its products from third party vendors, but if you choose to do so, you can find them on both Amazon and eBay.

Medifast replacement meals on Amazon



Similar posts:

Medifast Stock Price Falling -- How Healthy is Medifast the Company?

Medifast Centers Vs. DIY Medifast

Irrational Numbers: Doing the Math on Medifast Popcorn

Medifast Vs. Lean Cuisine Diet

Visit my other blogs:

Groovy Movies

Fit Kitty

Bookish

Follow Nancy's board Medifast on Pinterest.

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!

Love following along! RT @Nancy_Tracy: Day 15: My Favorite Medifast Hacks http://t.co/IlPjeZI8z4
— Medifast (@Medifast) October 14, 2013

My first Medifast NSV

Without diving into the how-often-should-you-weigh-yourself-on-a-diet debate, it is important to acknowledge that shedding pounds can be measured by more than just numbers on a scale. Achievements like fitting comfortably into a once too-snug pair of jeans or getting a smiley face from your doctor on your lab results are just as -- if not more -- important.  Though I'm going to wait another couple of weeks to do a lipid panel, I had my first "I can wear these jeans again!" moment yesterday, and it felt amazing. In Medifast, this is called an NSV, or non-scale victory.

One of the most disheartening parts of gaining weight for me has been outgrowing clothes I'd worn just the year before. Not being able to wear a size medium any more made feel, well... large. The next step would be so-called Woman's sizes, a euphemism for you-can't-wear-normal-sized-clothes-any-more. In fact, I accidentally stepped into a plus-sized shop recently and the owner failed to tell me I didn't belong there.

Mrs. Medifast makes the rules now

Still, what was I to do? For years I have been telling people diets don't work. All you have to do is eat smaller portions of better quality food and get regular exercise. Except that wasn't working for me. I made too many exception, permitting myself to indulge too often in home, work and social environments laden with temptations.

"Where have you been?"

It turned out I needed a tough prison matron -- a stern figure who would tell me how much I could eat and when. Passing up the free ice cream sundaes at work on Friday was a true test of how well this works for me. If I made an exception, my weight loss could stall for several days because of the biochemistry of how Medifast works. The risk far outweighed the reward.

With the help of my new-found will power, my next clothing NSV is to fit into all the mediums in my closet that have been patiently waiting for me to wear them again. At the rate I've been losing, that should not be too long.

If you're interested in learning more about how you can lose weight safely and more rapidly with the Medifast 5&1 plan, please visit my Take Shape for Life website.

Similar posts:

Medifast on Vacation

Medifast Ziti Marinara Review

Dr. Oz Diet Vs. Medifast 

I Lost Five Pounds My First Week on Medifast

Sorry about the gap between days three and seven. Though my aim is to post about my Medifast journey every day, I have given myself permission not to post if I 'm really busy.

Which brings me to some really good news: It's been a hectic week, but I managed to stay OP without any problems. The pre-Medifast me would have used the two biggest events -- a promotion at work and an out-of-town meeting -- to add lots of fun celebratory food to my plate. Any good news or change in routine has historically been an excuse for me go into party mode, which basically gives me carte blanche to consume high-calorie foods and rich restaurant meals.

But since I am following a strict diet and know that any cheating can make the measuring line on my scale move up instead of down, I had no trouble restraining myself. Sure it's been only a week, which means I still have the novelty factor bolstering my resolve. But it proves I can handle situations outside of my daily routine if I choose to.

Here's how I did it.

Job Promotion: Instead of indulging in lobster tail dipped in melted butter or chicken Parmesan, I feasted on congratulatory phone calls

Here's how I didn't celebrate my job promotion.

and cuddled up with my husband to watch "The Voice" on TV. I also treated myself to a new ebook for my Kindle, expanding my mind instead of my body.

Off-site Meeting: I skipped the bagel and shmear and fruit salad I habitually treat myself to at this standing meeting, opting for a hazelnut and vanilla no-calorie hot coffee instead. During a break, I mixed a Dutch chocolate Medifast shake using the portable BlenderBottle® I received with my first shipment, and on the ride home I stopped off for a delicious salad from Chipotle, which included grilled chicken, lettuce, a smattering of black and pinto beans, avocado and salsa. When I stopped off at work to catch up on a few emails, I saw there was an ice cream social happening in the break room, but I didn't feel the least bit tempted to partake.

Doing the happy dance

In sum, this week flew by so fast I didn't dwell on my "diet" or feel deprived. Having clearly defined rules helped me say "no" to temptations in which I would normally indulge.

Best of all, this morning when I stepped on the scale I was five pounds lighter!

If you're interested in learning more about how you can lose weight safely and more rapidly with the Medifast 5&1 plan, please visit my Take Shape for Life website.

Similar posts:

Medifast Ziti Marinara Review

Medifake Vs. Medifast

Dr. Oz Diet Vs. Medifast