You don't have to count calories, protein/fat/carb grams, percentages, sugar, or any of that. All of the calculating has been done FOR you.
You eat 6 times a day. That's right. 6.
Why? Because studies show that eating frequent SMALL meals raises your metabolic rate. And we definitely want that! Our metabolism, in many cases, is very very slow. That's why it's so tough to lose the weight. We want to do everything in our power to speed it up!
AND....in addition to eating 6x a day, each meal is perfectly nutritionally balanced, and TASTY.
After all, what's the point of eating if you HATE it, right?
You eat 5 pre-packaged Medifast and/or Optavia meals a day (for a list of all the meals available, go to http://www.catlover77.tsfl.com) and one 'lean and green'. The lean and green is your OWN food, and it's just that....1 serving of lean protein, plus 3 servings of green, healthy veggies. Veggies like green beans, lettuce, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, .... like that. Forego the potatoes and carrots and corn for now (they are too high in carbs). You also eat healthy fats every day - that means high in Omega-3s....'Good for you' fats There's a list of all fats, including many commercially available salad dressings.
Oh - and if you want it, you can have 1 snack per day. A snack could be a bag of Medifast popcorn or soy cheddar crisps, or it could be sugarfree jello, etc. Again, there's a list of acceptable snacks.
The whole thing adds up to being "on Program" (OP) on the TSFL (Take Shape for Life) program.
And you don't work in a vacuum.
You can get as much or as little support as you want, with
1). A free personal Health Coach (a professional weight-loss Coach) to guide you through the system (that's me), -- (and NO, I don't make you stand on line and 'weigh in'. I don't call you or email you everyday asking for your food logs. I don't follow you around and shake my head when you eat something off program. LOL. In fact, I don't do ANYTHING - UNLESS YOU NEED ME. If you need help, you shoot me an email and we schedule a phone call. Simple as that. Other than that, you get access to my "members only" Facebook page, which you can read at your leisure - or not. Totally up to you.
2). The Medifast 5 & 1 Plan® (for healthy weight loss) - which is as I described it above. Eating 6 meals a day. 5 MF (Medifast) OR Optavia (new formulations, same principle) meals a day, plus 1 lean and green. Every day. SIMPLE.
The Plan is simple: eat a Medifast Meal five times a day, 2 – 3 hours apart, and one Lean & Green Meal for lunch or dinner. That’s it! We help you with serving suggestions and recipes for your Lean & Green, and you can find all the important Plan details here.
Check out what you get to eat. Those Medifast meals? Are TASTY (believe me! I couldn't stay on this plan as long as I have if they weren't.....I'm talking brownies, pretzels, blueberry muffins, hot cocoa, cereal, ziti, macaroni and cheese, smoothies, peanut butter crunch bars, chewy cookie dough bars, and even mashed potatoes -- just to name a few!
There are over 90 choices to choose from.
And here's the best part:
EACH MEAL IS INTERCHANGEABLE (except for the Flavors of Home meals, which are FULL Lean and Green meals for those that just don't feel like making their own Lean and Green meals).
Because each meal is interchangeable, what that means is, you can have eggs OR oatmeal OR cereal for breakfast....or even just a cappucino or a shake!
For your mid-morning snack you could have a bar, or a bag of pretzels or cheese pizza bites, or macaroni and cheese.
Mid-afternoon? Up to you....want something sweet? Go for a smoothie or a shake or a blueberry muffin.
Then at night, you eat dinner WITH your family (all you do is eat the protein and triple-up on your veggies....and make them LEANER greens (we'll show you which ones).
Then before bed you get one more MF meal...and again, you can have WHATEVER you want of all the MF meals....perhaps a brownie or some peanut butter soft serve (mmm....soft ice cream, anyone?) or a cup of hot cocoa.
Listen, I believe if you're going to lose weight, you have to want to STICK to it, right?
And I REFUSED to eat sawdust.
This plan is DELICIOUS. I love the food. REALLY.
Why not ENJOY what you eat while you're losing weight, right? I mean, isn't the whole purpose to CHANGE your eating habits? So if you can LIKE the 'diet' food...all the better!
WHY SUFFER? That's my motto. LOL....
Hey, I even learned how to make COOKIES out of the oatmeal. (yep! Ask me for the recipe!)
YOU CAN DO THIS. Eating 6x a day is not a hardship....in fact it's kinda FUN! You eat every 3 hours or so, so that you NEVER get too hungry. You keep your metabolism 'revved up' like a steam engine in a locomotive....it has to be stoked, right?
So, you 'stoke it' right....with SMALL amounts of perfectly balanced, NUTRITIONAL meals....and you lose the weight.
Then, once you've reached your goal weight, we don't leave you high and dry to regain it. NO WAY.
THIS plan is the FIRST I've ever done that has a TRANSITION plan. That's right....a way to 'transition' into eating 'normally' again. You add back food groups like breads and starchy veggies, little by little.
Then you go on the Maintenance plan....which helps you to keep your svelte shape for life!
We're Different
Each of our Medifast Meals is scientifically formulated to be almost nutritionally identical to the next. That’s why you can choose any five of our more-than-90 low-calorie, low-glycemic Meals and get all the nutrition your body needs to lose fat and retain muscle. The Plan is designed to help you lose a significant amount of weight while keeping you full and satisfied.It's Backed by Science
Medifast Meals are doctor-designed nutrition. They are low glycemic, low in calories, scientifically formulated with the best proportion of macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) and fortified with the optimal vitamins and minerals. And each meal has a similar nutritional footprint, so you can swap them and still be thoroughly nourished!Numerous studies at major university teaching hospitals have proven Medifast Meals to be safe and effective. Studies published in major medical journals have proven meal replacements to be an effective method of weight loss and weight maintenance. See our Clinical Studies Brochure for more information on scientific trials and studies.
Here are some definitions for abbreviations you'll see me using on this website a lot:
TSFL - stands for Take Shape For Life, and it's the PROGRAM offered here, that is sponsored by and Take Shape for life "arm" of the Medifast company. It is co-sponsored by Dr. Anderson, who wrote the "Healthy Habits" book I have a link to on the right side of my blog.
MF - stands for Medifast. Medifast is the MEALs and the mealplan, used by the TSFL program to lose the weight.
MF are the meals, TSFL is the program.
Many people use the two words interchangeably but that's the actual difference.
When you go to the MF Community website, you may see TWO logon screens, 'Medifast' and 'TSFL'. BOTH logons lead to the same place...the community site where people using the program are talking about it and sharing and supporting one another. You can also use it to log your food and your exercise as you progress through the program.
If you start the program right from here, you will logon as a TSFL customer, because you'll have a Health Coach (that's me) who will guide and support you on your journey to health.
What's a Health Coach?
A Health Coach is someone who has gone through the TSFL program herself and can help guide you through the program. Frequently, Health Coaches have reached goal weight (as I have), and are successfully maintaining their losses.
Do I have to pay to have one?
No! It's totally free.
Do Health Coaches make money?
Yes, but it's a labor of love! Health Coaches by and large take on this job because they want to help others lose weight, and because they believe in the program. I certainly do! I also feel I'm doing my small part to help with the obesity epidemic in this country. So most of my satisfaction is from knowing I'm helping people! I do earn a small commission from the TSFL organization (never from the customer). This is done on the back end when you order your MF meals directly from my TSFL website.
You and I work together on how best I can help you. You do NOT 'report' to me or weigh in for me (this isn't Weight Watchers). And the support is ONE ON ONE. That means when I'm helping you it's totally confidential, as well. For most of us that means a weekly status check, but I'm always 'here if you need me'. If you have questions, problems, had a bad week, have your hand (literally) in the cookie jar, you can contact me and we'll arrange to talk about about it. I can also help with questions about the program, or if you are stalled in a plateau, I can offer you tips on how to get moving again. Mostly, I can tell you what worked for ME and make suggestions.
I am NOT a nurse or a doctor. I cannot and will NOT give you medical advice (only your doctor can do that), and YES you should most definitely check with your doctor before starting this program. I am also NOT a psychologist and I can't solve your problems...only you can do that!
What's in it for ME?
What I WILL do is give you someone to talk to who's 'been there'. Offer a shoulder to cry on when you need it. I'll do my best to support you and encourage you, and remind you of your successes!
But obviously, I don't know everything. And that's where the power of the TSFL organization comes in. I have access to tremendous resources and will do my best to find answers for you if I don't know the answer.
Mostly, it's the encouragement, support, and fellowship of being someone who's BEEN THERE. Believe me, there is little you can share regarding food that I haven't done myself! I've 'cheated' on this plan - just like I did with others. But I've managed to recover and get back on plan! I've 'snuck eat', sometimes right under the nose of my family (who may or may not have known). I've eaten myself into a STUPOR. I've hated myself, binged to no end, gone to the grocery store and loaded up on groceries and ate raw cookie dough on the way home - believe me, I've DONE IT. I am a food addict and I am not ashamed of it, because it's part of WHO I AM. And it's something I'm CONTROLLING....with the help of this program and my friends.
It's a two-way street. I learn from my clients, too! Sharing makes us stronger, and helps us to learn and to grow.
And there's one thing I believe in with all my heart...and that is, you HAVE to TRY, and sometimes you have to FAIL, in order to SUCCEED.
I always think about Edison, who when asked about his 1000-PLUS failures to create a lightbulb how he felt about failing, said, "I didn't fail....I just learned 1000 ways how NOT to create a lightbulb".
THAT is how we succeed. By trying, failing, and getting back up again and trying something different. By listening to others and maybe learning a 'new way' to handle our emotions or our thoughts.
Change happens from the INSIDE, OUT. It starts in the HEAD.
You have to CHANGE how you relate to food. Your lifestyle, sure....but this isn't as bad as it sounds. I don't live on alfalfa greens and air now. No way! I eat 'normal' food in maintenance. I just eat smaller meals, and they are healthier in general. And I know that certain foods for me? Are 'triggers'....they make me hungrier, and they are therefore OFF LIMITS. I've found good substitutions for them INSTEAD.
I've also learned how to control my emotional eating. And again, I'm not perfect! I still have my bad days....but now the bad days are over in a day, whereas they used to last a week, or a month...or longer. I can 'pull myself out' again very quickly and regain control. THAT is 'key'.
And how I THINK about food in general has changed. I still love to eat, don't get me wrong (I will NEVER stop loving to eat!) BUT...I don't 'use' food to manage my emotions anymore. I've learned how to manage my emotions in HEALTHIER ways now .. for the most part.
How do I succeed PERMANENTLY?
How you APPROACH food, the way you DEAL with food, day in and day out (even during the bad times...under stress, being sick, having bad things happen in your life, etc.) -- needs to change.
If it sounds too good to be true, let me assure you, it IS possible. It takes time, it takes effort, but it can be done.
Is it WORTH IT?
YOU BETCHA! It's AMAZING to get up every morning without hating my body. It's WONDERFUL to pull on my size 12 jeans and have them slide right on...(when I used to be a 24W!) It's INCREDIBLE to look in the mirror and love what I see, to shop in regular clothing stores without having to go to the 'Plus' area, to work out in a gym without feeling HUGE, to do a sit-up, to have my husband be able to put his arms around me, to fit into airline seats...
To be NORMAL again. To not be stared at. To not have to make excuses for my weight.
Most of all, to NOT be overwhelmed or CONTROLLED by food. Trying to figure out how to get 'more' of it all the time. To automatically think about binge-eating whenever I'm down. NOW I think more in terms of taking care of myself in OTHER ways.
Why do I need this? Why not just go on a diet?
If you don't, if you just 'diet' and don't change your lifestyle, I can GUARANTEE that, sooner or later, no matter how badly you try not to, you will revert to your old habits.
It's not YOUR FAULT! It's just human nature. You've LEARNED to deal with life this way and therefore your BRAIN tells you 'Go back to what worked before'....and it can be impossible to resist those signals.
So you succumb. Often this is a long, tortuous process..you succumb once, you chastise yourself, berate yourself, promise yourself you'll 'do better next time'...and you try again. And the next time you fail you go through the same process. Over and over and over again...until finally you just get TOO SICK OF IT. Too sick and tired to 'try again'. And then...you give up.
I know how it is. BELIEVE ME. But I finally found ALL the things I needed in a program to have it WORK, FOR GOOD.
FIRST - I needed the RIGHT PROGRAM. One that wouldn't 'starve' me or leave me light-headed and weak. One that gave me GOOD, HEALTHY nutrition. And one that was MEDICALLY SOUND. No more 'fad' diets...they didn't work, they just made me 'cranky' and weak and edgy.
The Medifast meal plan IS that program for me. It was tested and recommended by over 20,000 doctors in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University. You don't get more medically sound than that! Doctors RECOMMEND this program for its soundness in nutrition and its frequent meal plans (you eat 6x a day!)
SECOND - I needed a program that was going to work, and work FAST. I was sick and tired of working like a dog, denying myself all week all those wonderful treats I 'used' to enjoy, only to get on the scale and see...MAYBE...if I were lucky...a 1/2 lb loss. And many times I wouldn't lose a THING and I would be told 'Well, that's good, at least you didn't gain'. (say WHAT?)....
WHY was I putting myself through all this when I knew I had 75 lbs to lose? At this rate, 1/2 lb a week, I was in for a very very L-O-N-G tedious process.
I needed to SEE results. I knew I would feel encouraged if I got on the scale and actually could SEE the scale move downward! And to my amazement, Medifast DID that for me. TRUST ME ON THIS. I can't advertise how much I lost the first week....you won't believe it....all I will say is that I lost a considerable amount of weight WEEK 1. MORE than I had lost on any other program I'd ever tried...and consistently afterwards, I lost on average 2-5 lbs. a week. (and that is TYPICAL on this plan). I did the "5/1" plan (click on the 'Join me' link to find out what the 5/1 is all about). This is what the majority of people do on Take Shape for Life.
THIRD - I needed the SUPPORT to see me through the tough times. My own health coach (yes I have one, too) helped me with that. She made suggestions that helped get my 'wheels turning' and I was able to get back on track. Plus I blogged, talked to others on Facebook, etc. that were on this program. I never felt alone.
LAST - but not least - I needed a way to KEEP the weight off. That meant I needed a way to gradually work back up to 'normal' food.
(I don't know about you, but I always resisted a pre-packaged plan because I'm a 'big girl', I don't need to have someone else feed me...LOL...) but I got DESPERATE. This was my last step before gastric bypass surgery (and I'm SO GLAD I didn't go that route). But I wanted to KEEP it off, keep those good habits going, and get OFF the pre-packaged stuff eventually....and so I was gratified to learn that TSFL has a 'transition' program and then a 'maintenance' program, that teaches you how to gradually incorporate the foods you can't eat on the main 5/1 program little by little over a period of WEEKS...in fact it's 12 weeks when you lose over 50 lbs....so that by the time you get to maintenance you're eating all 'normal' food again, and you know HOW to keep the weight OFF, PERMANENTLY!
Do I have to place an order every month?
You are NOT required to order ANY 'set amount' of meals at ANY time (except to begin with, when you must do either the 1 month trial or the 2 week trial...you have to give it a fair shake, after all!)
Also, the program NEEDS that first week or two to get into what's called 'ketosis', which is the science behind the weight loss.
What are Medifast meals?
MEDIFAST meals (or the new Optavia meals) are pre-packaged,nutritionally-balanced, interchangeable meals you'll eat 5x a day. Plus you have an additional meal called your 'Lean and Green' (L&G) which is a meal of typically 6 ozs. (cooked) chicken breast or turkey or 5 ozs. lean beef or 7 ozs. fish....(there's a list)...LEAN proteins basically...PLUS 3 'greens'...or low-carb veggies. These include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, spaghetti squash, eggplant, cucumber, bean sprouts, and many others. You get THREE (3) servings of veggies with your lean protein at dinner every night. You can even 'split' it and have 1/2 for lunch, 1/2 for dinner....but in the beginning I recommend you keep it simple and have your entire lean at dinner along with all your veggies.
You are eating 6x a day.
How do I eat 6x a day? That seems like a lot!
It's easy once you get into the habit...and it's important, because it keeps a constant supply of fuel going into your body. Your body is like a furnace, it needs frequent 'refuelings'...but the KEY is, SMALL refuelings, not gigantic meals that will leave you stuffed. (this also teaches you what 'full' is, by the way).
Here's how I do it:
I have my MF breakfast around 6:30 - 7 am, and it's usually MF cereal plus Almondbreeze. (Dairy is something you need to forego until you get to transition...so we recommend you substitute Almondbreeze or soy milk for the milk, it tastes GREAT). But if you don't like cereal you can have MF scrambled eggs or oatmeal instead, whatever you like. EVERY MEAL is interchangeable, by the way....so if you want you can even have a brownie for Breakfast!
At 9:30-10 am -- approximately 3 hours later (we recommend 2-3 hours between meals) -- I have my mid-morning MF 'snack'. This is usually, for me, an MF protein bar....like the peanut butter crunch bar (LOVE these) or the Smores' crunch bar or the oatmeal raisin bar. There are lots of bars...some are chewy, some are crunchy, but again they are all interchangeable and you pick the one you like. You could also have a different MF meal, any one you like.
But I'm usually on the go, running errands or going to the gym, etc. so the bars work for me.
At noon-1 pm I have my MF lunch....which is my MF meal again (I will have something like an MF soup or the ziti or mac&cheese or something like that)...but again, it's all up to you. Everyone develops a fondness for certain meals...and everyone is different.
At 3 pm I have another MF snack ... this time it's usually something like the MF pretzels or crackers or maybe another soup or a smoothie (I love the new berry smoothies) or even a chocolate mint or peanut butter soft-serve (tastes like soft ice cream if you do it right...!)
Then at dinner time it's time for my L&G. I'll have, for example, 6 ozs. of cooked chicken breast served on a bed of 1 cup spaghetti squash (that equals 2 greens), and a 1 cup lettuce salad on the side, with my healthy fat on it (one of the MF approved salad dressings).
0-2 healthy fats are REQUIRED on this program, because fat is a NECESSARY component for weight loss! AND good nutrition. You can't shed the weight without eating SOME fat. And the fats they recommend are 'good fats'...containing omega-3s, olive oil, like that. There's a long list of approved salad dressings, among them are the Newmann's Own brand, Kraft, and Hidden Valley Ranch dressings.
At 9 or 9:30 pm, right before bed (YES we CAN --and SHOULD -- eat 'after 7 at night' LOL) I'll have my last MF meal for the day. Usually I'll 'save' an MF brownie for this last meal, they're delicious (and NOT tiny). We also get 1 snack a day so I'll use this snack for two TBLs PB2 (it's a peanut butter substitute...I'm a peanut butter 'freak'....this stuff is a LIFEsaver, by the way) that I spread on top of my brownie. OMG...it's HEAVEN.
But sometimes I'll have a soft-serve instead...ice cream anyone? Or a shake....or chocolate pudding or vanilla pudding or I'll have a blueberry muffin. ALL of these are MF meals...and ALL are, again, interchangeable.
EVERY MF meal is a balanced meal with the right amounts of PROTEIN, carbs, and fats. The PROTEIN is key.
When did you last have a bag of pretzels that had PROTEIN in them? MF pretzels have it...and they're cinnamon-sugar type coating makes them scrumptious. I LOVE these when I'm on the go.....also there are cheese pizza bites that I SWEAR taste like my favorite 'pizza crusts' with a little of the cheese and sauce 'baked in'. LOL....
You eat this way throughout the 5/1 plan. You also drink 64 ozs. of water EACH and EVERY day. The water helps to keep you fuller longer, and it helps to 'rinse out' the fat as you shed it. And boy, do you SHED it!
We lose FAT on this program. That first week's weight loss? Is NOT 'water weight'. If it were water weight, the minute we drank enough water it would come back! It doesn't come back. It's gone for GOOD provided you stick to the program!
What about eating out?
The first couple of weeks are the hardest...naturally...as you get used to the plan and as your body adjusts. Many people (myself included) wait to go out to dinner for awhile until they feel confident enough to order in restaurants.
If you cook at home you can control the exact amount of lean and green you're getting, and ensure that there is no sauces or butter added to the veggies, and your COOKED protein is enough. (you'd be surprised at how much food 6 ozs. of cooked protein is). After awhile, though, you can 'gauge' a little better...and then it becomes easier to order out in restaurants. A nice piece of baked salmon, or a filet mignon, with two side veggies (hold the potatoes please) and no sauces or butter, thank you....and a side salad, dressing on the side...works.
To drink you can have seltzer water or diet soda or coffee or tea with splenda (YES I still have -- will always have -- a sweettooth. Despite the dire warnings about artificial sweetners...of which MF has very few, by the way....a little Splenda is not going to kill you, and it's "OP" (on program)).
That's it in a nutshell!
For more info, check out the TSFL Quick Start Guide.
What about exercise?
When you get past Week 3, you can resume (or start) an exercise program...something simple and not too strenuous like walking. And then work up from there. I became a real 'gym nut' along the way...now I work out up to 5x a week...which amazes me, even now. But I did it S-L-O-W-L-Y, over a long period of time. Working my way up from 1/2 hour workouts 2x a week, to 3x a week, and so on.
Doing an exercise you LOVE helps, too. And this can take time to figure out.
DO NOT DO ANY EXERCISE YOU HATE, because you won't stick to it!
I love Pilates, weight training, and the treadmill (provided I have my iPod in my ears and my class rock music playing so I move to the beat!). I also do a low-impact aerobics class that is FUN (I recommend Zumba, by the way, it's fun and when it's fun the time passes quickly) and I also do a Spinning class. It's a challenge but I LOVE IT when I get through it.
But that's just ME. Everyone is different! Find something you enjoy, and GO FOR IT!
More questions?
If you need to know more...please email me at luckylin736@gmail.com, or click on the links I've provided.
Hopefully your questions will be answered and you can get started and GET THAT SLIM TRIM BODY YOU ALWAYS WANTED!
