The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Mommy2girls]

I thought I would start a post about people who use Medifast while they are at work (or any other place than home basically!)

My DH started MF a month ago and has been doing great, and THANKS to this board I decided to get him the Hamilton Beach personal blender to take to work and for us to take on trips, etc. He uses it at work, and says sometimes people will look at his drink and be like "oooh is that a smoothie? slushie?" they all think it looks yummy!

Anyway, about the soups. I think he has been just using the micro, but I was wondering if any of you mix the water and the soup (like the chicken noodle or the minestrone or the chili type of soup) together and let it sit for a few hours then nuke it for lunch and if so does that work out pretty well?

Also about the shakes. When you make a shake at home and "take" it with you, how long will it last (being refridgerated of course) and does it taste okay if you "shake" it and drink it hours later?

I have read the tip (from several of you) who make up basically TO GO packets, where you have all your supplements for the day in a ziplock and just grab and go when you need to.

Anyway, please share your thoughts and tips and ideas here because I'm a SAHM so it is pretty easy for me to put together the MF meals when and where I want (with no prying eyes and nosy questions either... )

TIA for the suggestions!
Sheila

[Terri]

Hi Sheila,
Many of my "working" clients use the RTD (ready to drink) shakes at work, because they are easy to travel with. You can freeze them and within 3 hours they are ready to drink.
Also yes you can make the shakes in advance - my father lost 70 lbs and now just uses oatmeal and 2 Joint Health shakes a day. He makes the shakes while waiting for the oatmeal to be done and then they are ready when he is ready.
Also the soups can be mixed with just HOT tap water – and better for you that way.
Preparedness - is the key. A insulated lunch bag is also great - packed up with shaker jars half filled with ice, and several packets of shakes and extra bars. Then you NEVER get stuck without anything.

Hope these tips help you out.

Terri

[martha]

Hi Sheila--

I don't work but we just got back from vacation and we made our shakes ahead of time and put in a ice chest..I make 2 at night for the next day every night and they are fine.. I think I read somewhere that they can be made up to 12 hours ahead of time..That's about how long mine are that I make at night.. 1 at 8am and 1 at 10-10:30am.. I just shake them up really good and the flavor is great still.. Martha

[DogMa]

I've mixed the soups ahead and nuked them at work; I actually do the same thing at home most of the time, with the chili and the chicken-noodle and chicken-rice soups (and the minestrone, for that matter). It helps soften the beans/pasta/whatever. I've also made the creamy soups at work by just nuking some water and then mixing it in a container.

Mostly I bring RTD shakes ("ooh, is that chocolate milk??" is the most common comment), plus since I work at night I usually bring my lean/green and eat it here.

Out of curiosity, Terri, why would it be "better for you" to use hot tap water instead of mixing the soup and heating it in the microwave (or for the creamy soups, heating the water and then mixing with the soup packet)?

[Walks262]

While I get less opportunity for variety at work, I do find it easier during the week to stay on plan -- more routine and less temptation in my office. (Except today when the boss ordered in Chinese for everyone -- I found an errand to do and just disappeared.)

I generally have my one bar mid-morning.
I pre-soak my soups and Chili in a pyrex bowl I have at my desk; then use the microwave. (I keep a jar of salsa for the chili in the community refrigerator.)
Oatmeal in the microwave.
I have an extra shaker jar in my desk in which to shake the shakes. I also have room for syrups in my office, but rarely bother.
RTD for emergencies -- ie, running between meetings.
And the fast soups: the coffee makers in our office have a hot water tap; I fill a cup and stir in the fast soup.

Hope that helps.

[mytime]

Mommy2girls - When in doubt of my schedule I use the RTG drinks. A guy at my work told me that he make his shakes and keeps them in Snapple jars in the fridge and then brings them with him - he thinks the glass helps keep them cool.

I pack all of my food for the day the night before and include 2 bottles of water- I always have a can of diet coke, a FAST soup and an extra shake packet in there as well - in case of emergency.

I also have brought my shake packets to local coffee houses - not the chain stores (although I have done this as well they sometimes refuse) and have them blend them with SF syrup when I have the time - it makes for a great "fancy" treat.

Hope this helps, Mytime

[Mommy2girls]

Thanks everyone!

I definitely need to get my hubby to take some "extras" just in case (meaning extra MF supps) because sometimes he is in long meetings and can't get away (and of course sometimes during the meetings they will supply food) or like earlier this week he didn't come home until midnight. So I know he had to be STARVING for his lean & green which was waiting for him in the fridge.

I tried the frozen RTD shake and it worked out fairly well, melting nicely for a hot July day while I was out running errands.

I think my mom bought a container that has a freezable middle so that it will keep drinks cool and I think that is working well, I would have never THOUGHT of a Snapple container! LOL!

Terri, yes, please expand on the idea that hot tap water is better for you in the soups rather than microwaving them. I have used hot water for the creamy soups, but all the others I either nuke them or do the stovetop. I didn't know that there is a difference in the way you cook the soup.

Thanks again, and keep any ideas coming!
Sheila

[missahc]

Hi Sheila,

Another idea that works great at work in the oatmeal cookies. Bake and take and eat !

APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL COOKIES

1 pkt Medifast Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
¼ tsp cinnamon
3 tsp Splenda sweetener
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add extract and water. Stir until
moistened. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow ingredients to achieve appropriate consistency.

Place spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (spray with Pam) and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until cookies have browned. (You may need to bake them longer, depending upon your personal likes)

[Unca_Tim]

There is some evidence that certain vitamins, nutrients, etc. can be lost with "over" cooking, and I'm guessing that's what Terri is inferring by her above post.

I guess in a pinch, hot tap water is fine, if that's all you have access to. Keep in mind that any of the dehydrated veggies will be like chewing ball bearings.

I'm sure Medifast has thoroughly researched and perfected all of their mixing and preparation methods over the last 25 years, and I've seen no info that when following the Medifast preparation directions that there's any loss of quality.

[Nancy]

re:

Also the soups can be mixed with just HOT tap water – and better for you that way.

IMHO, they are NOT better that way.

They are not very flavorful...the noodles in the Chicken Noodle Soup are crunchy, the rice in the Chicken With Wild Rice Soup is rock hard, the chicken does not reconstitute, the burger meat in the Chili has no flavor (and is unidentifiable) and the beans can break off your front tooth if prepared with just hot water ad eaten right away.

Adding hot tap water to the Creamy Soups often creates soup globs.

It is my experience that mixing the Creamy Soups with a small amount of cool - lukewarm water until well blended and smooth and then gradually adding some hot water works just fine but I have not had a good experience adding hot water to the soups.

I mix all Medifast warm products (the Hot Cocoa, Chai Latte, Oatmeal, Creamy Soups, etc.) except the Fast Soups with cool water, stir and then micro or cook on the stove top for best flavor.

I prepare our soups or chili in the morning with cool water micro for one minute and they spend the rest of the day in the refer until meal time when they are heated. They turn out perfect, flavorful and no emergency trips to the dentist to repair a broken tooth and no surprise soyballs or soyglobs to hock up during a business meeting.

The Fast Soups can be made by adding some boiling water or water from the "Insta Hot Tap" that many work places have available for their employees.

The Fast Soups are lactose free, and soy free and contain minute pieces of carrot, celery and/or leeks they actually reconstitute right away and can be consumed nearly immediately with full flavor.

I have written about how to prepare soups and other products for the best consistency and flavor in many postings throughout the forum - use the search feature clicky up there ^ and look in the Lean Cuisine webroom.

There are many long-time Medifasters that have created some absolutely wonderful recipes and shared them with us. Julia Childs would be proud!

I used to prepare and take my daily Medigrub supply with me when I was working at the college - it was very manageable by preparing the regular Medifast 55 shake packets or soup in advance, a quick nuke in the micro and I was refueled and able to spend the rest of my lunch hour doing enjoyable things and did not have to wait in line at the drive-through or spend a lot of $ at a sit-down restaurant.

Often times I was gone 12-14 hours a day with my job and evening classes or meetings and since I kept my weight loss program pretty much a secret, I was able to slurp or eat and no one was the wiser.

My husband prepared my shakes in the blender and filled a quart size plastic container with my precious Medi-fuel, I wrapped them in a towel and kept them in the refrigerator at work or in a cooler in the trunk of the car. This is really easy for busy people.

Until the release of the research findings by Johns Hopkins,
(which I posted on January 6, 2005 - here's the link http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/diet-1936.html)
it was thought it was best for people to have a minimum of three shakes a day. There is some conjecture that heating the soy may compromise the nutritional integrity somewhat but the findings evidently mean that we may have all 5 Medimeals in any combination.

Different strokes for different folks...I've been doing this for three years now and I love the products and we use them all.

[DogMa]

Nancy - Even the cream of chicken soup? That's the one soup I really just can't stand at this point. Do you do anything good with it to help it along? I've tried adding bouillon, spices, etc. but nothing seems to help it much.

[Nancy]

Robin ~

I mix the Creamy Chicken with a small amount of cool water until it is smooth; gradually add more water until well blended. I add some freeze dried chives, garlic and a bit of curry powder and nuke. I sometimes add some Delicate Chicken Fast Soup or chx bouillon to make it chickenier. I crunch up a packet of Medifast Garden Vegetable crackers and stir them into the soup.

It is my least fave soup...I prefer the Creamy Broc

[Jan]

Ohhhh Nancy
Thank you sooo much for jumping in here -- I hate to say this but the soups are absolutely AWFUL when using hot tap water -- don't do it. The noodles and other things remain very crunchy and lets not even talk about the beans except to say that they may insure a quick trip to the dentist. We want you to lose pounds --- not teeth. The soy gets really globby and completely horrible to try to choke down. YUK!!! The shakes are "ok" made ahead -- my sister loves them this way-- just make sure you know they get thicker so if you like them thin -- make them just before you have them. I usually take my shaker jar full of ice, some bottled water and just mix when I'm ready. You can tell thin is my favorite way. The RTD's are really good and I even drink them not too cold -- I still think they're good. Please please don't use tap hot tap water!!
jan

[Nancy]

When I make shakes in advance, I use 8 ounces of water, add the packet of shake mix and take it for a nice two minute ride in the blender or Magic Bullet. Then I add 1/2-1 cup of crushed ice and take it for another whirly. By the time I am ready to drink it - anywhere from 3-8 hours later, the shake is still well blended and creamy. I just give the quart jar a gentle shake, add a straw and slurp away to thinniness.

Terry used to always mix a double shake to go for me each workday at 6 AM. I drank half at 10:30 AM and the other half at 2 PM. Sometimes I would have a shaker jar of Chicken Noodle Soup with Multi-grain crackers at 2 PM and have the other half of the pre-mixed shake at 5:30 PM and it tasted great.

[DogMa]

I'm like you, Jan. Not a fan of pre-mixing the shakes. But I'll drink the RTD at room temperature. They're better cold, but they taste OK even warmer.

I'll try the curry powder in the cream of chicken, Nancy. Thanks. I really just want to finish the boxes I have of it and then stick with the broccoli and the others that I like. I like the chicken noodle, too - although when they come out with a nice matzo ball version, THEN we can talk.


I just noticed someone musta reported me to Unca Tim, cause I'm suddenly in the 10-pound club. Thanks!