Medifast Tips

Medifast is a proven path to quick weight loss and thankfully, it’s pretty easy to follow. However, everybody has issues that they struggle with. I’ve assembled a few Medifast Tips that might help you along the way. From getting through the tough first days to figuring out a way to make the chili taste good – we cover a lot of topics here and will be adding more tips all the time. If you’ve got a great Medifast Tip, use the comments section below to share it.

29 thoughts on “Medifast Tips”

  1. Cool!
    And my site is under construction, yes, there is a back story to my screen name, but not important right now.
    I have health problems that have prevented me from losing weight, even the last time I did medi-fast- I now have a dx that explains a lot, but nothing that explains weight gain every time I try to exercise. Had lost 118 lbs, 2.5 lbs from my goal weight, and the pain meds (chronic pain patient) were doing their job. We walked two laps around the park, & I gained 4 lbs. I’ve put nearly 20 total back on, was forced to quit “curves” because my pain doc said I was just hurting myself, & of course the weight gain.
    So, here I am, glad I found this site, and hope it makes a difference for me.
    Thanks!

      1. thanks! just finished up my first week, w/ 8.5 loss & have a “fried” fish recipe i need to come back and share w/ you, but so busy… and hungry, always hungry! so it’s good to be busy!! : )

  2. i don’t know where to look for an answer to this question, but do y’all have any kind of food trade set up? for instance i bought those bbq bites or whatever they are, and i just can NOT eat them. same with the puffs. i’ve used the puffs several times to add a fried feel to my fish, but after trying the same w/ the bbq, i think i’m going to stick to poaching. i read somebody else didn’t like the chili– i can deal with it. and since i broke down and bought the “magic bullet-nutri bullet” (sounds like 2 different machines, but is only one), i’m feeling guilty about the number of soft serves i’m eating — i have a lovely collection of davinci sugar free syrups, and i’m just loving the dang thing!! took me awhile to get up the nerve to blend just ice, but it works SO great, and we’ve got through every kind of blender (coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, chopper) you can imagine. my margaritaville blender thing is cool, sitting out on the tiki bar, but all our friends got out of the area before housing prices dropped, and it’s not worth getting down and cleaning all the time (besides i’d rather have just good sippin’ tequila, anyway. oh. did i just say that outloud?).
    seriously, i think this one said it has 17 pieces, and you really do have to not over-fill or run it more than one minute, but it is exceptional! plus it was like $99 at wal-mart, shipped free!
    anyway, is there any trading going on? if not, would anybody else be interested in trading items? there’s some i’d like to try, but not get stuck with, too.
    just a thought.
    thanks!
    -buns

    1. Bunny, I’ve seen where people try to sell their food on ebay. I’ve personally purchased certain products from there too.

  3. Do you have any good ideas of how to fix the oatmeal to make it taste good? Ihave found your ideas on how to fix certain foods to be very good,

    1. i LOVE the oatmeal. but i love almost all of it, as i spent last year doing the smelly yam noodle (both the 40 cal/pkg & the 0 cal) so everything’s a treat!!
      i think medifast might disagree with me, but if you’ve been eating regular up until this point, (i was @ 800 cals THEN, i have cushing’s syndrome) i’m pretty sure you can use my tips, and if you don’t lose the weight, STOP! 🙂
      #1 torani & da vinci SUGAR FREE flavored coffee syrups: pay the extra, go to their site. amazon will get it to you faster, but you’ll pay 4x the cost. smart and final has a lot of flavors, i think i have ALL of them except the fruit flavors!
      i’ve not been buying the membership plan, until i knew what i liked -and am very worried about what will happen when i can’t have my “ice cream” every night! it’s also nice because my husband is diabetic (type 2, pretty well controlled) and he was thrilled to snipe some of my pancakes the other night! i have some physical limitations, so if i feel good, i’ll cook a whole box of something, use my seal-a-meal, and don’t have to worry about it when i’m not up to the prep mess.
      ANYWAY:, i’ve only had the brown sugar and blueberry, and, i tend to save up and mix two together, but there’s really not much difference. i’ll set up my dry ingredients in a micro-safe jar (oatmeal, powdered butter replacement (molly mc butter or butter buds, amazon has a good deal on a case of bb), and a dash of cinnamon.
      i then get my water (y’know, i guess i should say i like my REAL oatmeal really smushy, so that may help me) measuring cup, add what ever flavor works (maple syrup: i like davinci pancake, de leche, caramel, absolute favorites: toasted marshmallow [exellent in the cappuchino, w/ a tsp of walden farms marshmallow dip], and cookie dough- can’t make the brownie or cookie without it! salted caramel is the best for the oatmeal, unless you are used to a no salt diet. whatever you like. i make my own vanilla extract so i’d guess i use maybe 1/4 tsp (i have dropper bottles), and most of the time a pinch of salt, if i’m using other than the salted caramel.
      even for a single serving, i cook it @ 2 mins, let it sit, stir, then another 30-60 mins, depending on whether it’s 1 or two servings.
      yeah, walden farms products, and sugar free coffee syrups. i live for the soft serve, oatmeal, pancakes (trust everybody here. you HAVE to use seltzer in the pancakes!) but basically, it’s the syrups and an occasional dash of kernal season’s popcorn seasoning. i DO use too much of the extras, which is why i haven’t given you measurements.
      AND i’m up to trading some of my soups & such for oatmeal, if anyone is interested.
      hope this helps you norma!
      i don’t have the guts to try the eggs, but i tend to eat an egg white omelette pretty often, so i’m ok. i also like REALLY easy, so mixing up a bunch of different things only confuses me.
      and i don’t work for the company or anything, but i splurged and bought a “nutri-bullet” from walmart for $99, added the extended warranty. if you have an ice crusher feature in your ‘fridge door, that darn thing will make SNOW, as long as you do it in small batches. and follow the directions to the letter, or you will have some of the problems mentioned at amazon reviews.
      lol, sorry about the length!! let me know how it goes!!
      -buns

  4. Okay, So I just started medifast yesterday. I have had no issues with being hungry as I use to eat just one large meal a day. I am having a really hard time with the taste of the food. I literally had to swallow the food the first day as quick as possible to prevent me from throwing it right back up. Is this just me, or what? Everyone talks about how okay the food tastes but I just dont get it. The bars are the only okay thing I have eaten so far (out of the 9 Ive eaten so far). Will the taste get better as time goes on? I purchased a whole months worth and really need this to work. So am I doomed or will this get better? And should I really spend the money I dont have for a blender for the shakes?

    1. I was the same way when I first started the plan about 3 weeks ago?Now I have found the medifast items I like. You can return boxes if you only used one out of it. But don’t give up it really gets better

    2. Hi Jess,

      I agree, I have lost 60 LBS by drinking the dutch chocolate shakes and eating bars and my lean and green meals only. I have tried other medifast options and could not get them down. So I stuck with what I liked to keep myself on plan. I have given all the other food I bought and didn’t like to a friend who is just starting the program. I have never used a blender just the shaker that comes with the program. Hope this helps! Best of Luck!

  5. Jess,

    I had the same problem when I started! I decided that this has to work for me and it won’t work if I constantly dread what I’m eating so I’m sticking to only the things I like. I don’t think it has caused my weight loss to stop and I’m no longer dreading my next meal. I strongly recommend to just eating what you like and making the diet work for you.

  6. Jess,
    I heard a long time ago that if you like the taste of soy you will like Medifast. If not, you won’t. I happen to like it but I have also purchased a few products from WonderSlim as well. Their products do not use soy and it is the same type of plan.

  7. Jess, glad its not just me. Literally had to spoon the eggs in my mouth and swallow with water like a pill. My baby thought it was hilarious. He’s lucky I didn’t steal his graham crackers. I find the brownie is tolerable. But I PRAY the rest is good because this is going to be tough to stick to.

  8. Does anyone here drink coffee? I started medifast 2 weeks ago and tried giving up coffee and im must dying lol. I think my problem is i like using alot of milk and sugar. I tried it with soy milk and a bit of the splenda and i tried truvia and i just cant even tolerate it. Does anyone have a way they drink there coffee that doesnt throw off the medifast diet and are still losing weight?

    1. I had to switch to Taster’s Choice because I couldn’t handle the bitterness of brewed coffee without lots of creamer. I use Stevia (which I like) or I use 1 tsp of sugarfree hazelnut creamer. It wasn’t as creamy or sweet as I was used to, but I got used to it and the cream or Stevia counts as 1 condiment each.

      1. I heard that the vanilla shake makes a nice creamer. I dont drink coffee so I havent tried it myself.

    2. I have the Calorie Burn Cappacino in my coffee every morning. Any chocolate or vanilla shake could be put in your coffee also. Try the DaVinci Sugar Free Flavored Coffe Syrups with Stevia.

      I tried the Brownie Mix with water and ice in the personal blender and made a shake. When you microwave Brownie Mixes and Soft Bakes, try cooking for less time to make them more moist.

    3. I tried everything and just gave up and now drink it black. I’m getting use to it, better than no caffine. I also put some cold coffee in my chocolate shakes and takes good and gives me a boost. I don’t like much of the foods either, eat mostly bars and shakes. Works so far, I don’t have much to lose, doing it for my husband. He is doing well. We were told to make shakes out of the brownies and cookies, that works. We miss our cocktails, has anyone embibed and if so what happened?

    4. I am a coffee nut, and I drink 2 to 3 cups every morning. I use sweet n low and skim milk. when I started plan last year, I did not stop my coffee. I cant, and I still did well losing the weight. Maybe I would have lost faster if I didn’t drink as much, but I need it. and I did well losing.
      I did have a down fall after my dad got sick, I call myself on plan but I am struggling and then the going out thing, don’t help.
      I have managed to keep the weight off, but I need to stop the cravings when I go out.

  9. Crystal – I drink a cup of coffee every day because I just couldn’t give it up. I use Coffee Mate sugar free French Vanilla creamer (make sure it isn’t the fat free one, but sugar free…they are labeled almost identically). I know it isn’t exactly on the plan, but its a better option in regards to limiting your sugar.

    Some other tricks and items that I’ve found:

    Heinz No Sugar Added Ketchup has only one gram of sugar which is naturally from the tomatoes and the rest is sweetened with Splenda. A couple of teaspoons in the sloppy joe mix or chili does wonders.

    Wish Bone Light Thousand Island Dressing; Wish Bone Light Italian Dressing; Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette are the best salad dressings that I’ve found that meet the criteria of the program.

    On the few days that I’m having trouble and want something to snack on, I either eat a spoonful of Natural Peanut butter, or a Weight Watchers cheese stick. For the peanut butter, you really need to read the label. Lots of “natural” peanut butters have hydrogenated oil or sugar. The label should simply say it has peanuts and a little bit of salt. Its the peanut butter with the oil on top that you have to mix up. In any event, either of these snacks really help me on rough days.

    Stock up on Crystal Light, Mio, and other sugar free water additives. I don’t use them all the time, but a little bit of lemonade with lunch seems to help my dinner go further for me.

    A piece of sugarless gum like Trident can help on days when you keep catch yourself walking to the kitchen.

    The Morning Star Farms Grillers are a heck of a lot better than Boca Burgers and are a great protein on a night when you don’t want to cook.

    My chili recipe is as follows: Fill the shaker cup to 5 ounces of water and pour the chili mix in after. Add a dash of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and just a little salt. Shake up and put in the fridge at least over night. When ready to eat, pour into a bowl, put a couple of teaspoons of the sugar free ketchup and cook like normal. For not a lot of extra calories, the chili actually tastes like real chili.

    Big Tip – Don’t sign up for the plan where Medifast sends you a four week package of food that they choose. I think they send you the garbage that no one likes to get it out of their warehouse.

    My favorites: Dutch Chocolate Ready to Drink Shake; Mocha Ready to Drink Shake; Chocolate Crunch Bar; Caramel Crunch Bar; Smore Crunch Bar; Oatmeal Raisin Crunch Bar; Strawberry Curnch Bar; Peanut Butter Crunch Bar; Original Style Eggs (provided you cook them in the skillet, the microwave makes them terrible); Hearty Vegetarian Sloppy Joe; Chocolate Pudding; Spiced Pancakes (use fizzy water when making them if you can); Chocolate Chip Soft Bake (I like the cookie dough better than after its cooked); Chili Nacho Cheese Puffs.

    Things I’ll eat, but aren’t necessarily my favorites: Parmesan Cheese Puffs; Chocolate Mint Crunch Bar; Cinnamon Roll Crunch Bar; Mixed Berry Cereal Crunch; Macaroni and Cheese; French Vanilla Ready to Drink Shake; Chili.

    Things I wouldn’t feed my dog or to a starving man: Brownies; Cream of Broccoli Soup; Cream of Chicken Soup; Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Cereal Crunch; BBQ Bites; Cheese Pizza Bites (I didn’t even finish half a bag of those).

    I know this was really lengthy and not all that organized, but I thought it might help someone. I’ve lost 36 pounds since January 7th, so I must be doing something right.

      1. I forgot to say that if I don’t mention a food by name in the likes/dislikes section is because I haven’t tried it yet.

        1. After April 2nd, 4 new 4-Week Variety Packs will be available–Gluten Free, Chocolate Lovers, Favorites, and On the Go . There will be no discount for the 20 Boxes ordered that way, but you might get more what you like.

      1. hi all you newbies…… i’ve been on MF on and off ( mostly on ; off due to major surgery, and vacations) for 3 years. i’ve lost 165 lbs, and am VERY slowly stuck and losing the last 60-70 now. hints i’ve learned over the years….
        add more liquid to almost everything than they say… and let it soak for a bit and re-hydrate! (especially stew, chili, sloppy joe , eggs)
        be creative with little bits of salsa, grated parmesan cheese , mustard, and flavor syrups and drops available to you (netrition.com)
        add baking soda and baking powder to make stuff rise (fake “muffins”, breads, etc. it helps all of them! )
        make “smoothies”…. lotsa ice, flavors, SF soda, etc for fruity tasting blends in bullet blender.. i miss fruit most of all…. to make it a meal smoothie, add pudding , shake, or soft serve of your choice and fill it up! (the blender bullet) makes “milkshakes” that are not bad… good way to prepare cranberry mango or orange shakes. add 1 TBL of fat free cream cheese for creamy smoothies/milkshakes
        see the recipe for “dilly muffins” (and my tweaking of it) at “3fatchicks on a diet” website. use liberally!!
        use spices liberally…. i add garlic/onion powder to most savory things
        i make the oatmeal and pancakes into muffins… chewy and tasty and easy to transport, to eat later or while out. (see recipes at (3fatchicksonadiet.com)
        when i get sick and tired of being on a diet (it’s been since i was 15, 40 something years ago…) i try to concentrate on why i’m doing this. i’m getting up and out of a wheelchair after 10 years, and finally had a gigantic hernia repaired after 15 years of my intestines hanging outside my abdominal cavity. most days i hate being on a diet, and am SO sick of it…but i can walk short distances now. so i will persevere. besides, now i have a flat belly! even with the loose hanging skin, it’s way better than it was. keep a realistic outlook. weight loss will change nothing in your life but your weight. it will not change all the problems you attribute to being fat. if you put expectations of a miracle cure for all the problems in your life just by losing weight, you will be disappointed and angry to discover it is not so. however, losing weight for it’s own sake is amazing!!!! keep your eye on the prize at all times …..smaller, more easier mobile movement, feeling better about your health. at first i was locked into the “straight path” view, and hard on myself if i couldn’t stay on it; i have since learned that it is a path with many curves and zigzags, and that is alright. the end goal is the same, and i am always treading that path, evern if it’s a slight detour now and then.

  10. There is definitely an “art” to Medifasting. I think people get stuck or fall away from the program because they are thinking that they can’t eat anything except the Medifast meals and still loose weight. You can enhance, season or add lean and green elements to the Medifast meals to prepare them to your own taste and stay within the general guidelines. One of the things you come to realize when you read Dr. A’s Habits of Health, (and I’m specifically referencing Chapter 10), is that there is more than one way to accomplish your 5-1 plan. While using the pre-packaged meals is quick, simple, and you are guaranteed you are getting balanced nutrition in the right amount, you can also eat “real” food for your mini-meals. If you feel you have the discipline to work outside the program, there are more choices available to you. This is particularly helpful knowledge for those who run out of their Medifast meals, are traveling or eating away from home, are having difficulty tolerating the soy, need more variety than they are getting in the Medifast meals, etc. Chapter 10 has a long list of suggestions for the 5 mini-meals that include yogurt, cheese, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and even some grains. The book has a lot of help in sorting out the low glycemic choices from the high glycemic choices. This knowledge is totally liberating and it brings you closer to the transition we all will be making once we have reached our optimum weight. The one thing that the book also emphasizes is adding a vitamin supplement plan if you are going outside of the Medifast meals, that you plan what you are going to eat ahead of time, choose low glycemic foods, and that you keep your portions in check so that you are staying at about 100 calories. This book was a total eye-opener for me in so many ways. It covers not just the eating plan, but a wide range of health and wellness topics. I recommend everyone invest in a copy. My thought is that it may take a bit longer to shed the lbs. if you step out of the pre-packaged meal program, but the ability to mix it up and do a little substituting from time to time might just be the break you need to keep yourself on track and moving toward your goal of being a skinnier and happier person.

    My best to all my fellow Medifasters,

    Mary

  11. Was wondering if there was a way to print these recipies without using so much paper? Is there a printable version of each recipe that I’m just not seeing how to print?

    Thanks!

  12. I still can’t eat the oatmeal cookies…like rubber even with the baking powder! I am on day 7 and have lost about 5 lbs. So I want to keep going. I have to say, the egg drop soup is the only way to eat the eggs!

    2 cups water 2 chicken bouillion cubes, mix egg powder in a mug with 5 tablespoons water, bring bullion to roiling boil, and start ladling in the eggs. Makes a lot, and the eggs are actually edible this way! Still need ideas on things like, can I eat some sugar free candy?

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