The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[Guest]

I am on my 3rd day of Medifast, and have a few questions. To let you know something about me to help you answer: I am a 5' 1", age 51 female, and plan on losing another 30 pounds (to 105) before trying to maintain and seriously start exercising.

Now for the questions:

Since I am short, is it OK to eat 4 meal replacements and less than 5 or 7 oz. of meat per day? I really don’t have a problem with hunger, and don’t particularly like meat. I am also only exercising minimally right now. It doesn’t make sense to me that a 5" relatively inactive female needs only slightly less calories, etc., than a 6" active male, yet I read very little difference in what the different genders and sizes of people are supposed to consume.

The guidelines are that we can have up to 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese instead of the meat. Is low-fat required, or is non-fat OK? Looking at the nutrition information for cottage cheese, it does appear that while fat-free has no fat, it has more carbs and less protein.

Does it matter what times of the day I drink the 64 oz. of water? I prefer to drink it all before about 5:00 P.M., along with coffee in the morning. I then prefer to drink non-caffeinated tea or diet soft drinks (probably a total of 24 oz.) for the rest of the day.

Does it matter if I eat the Lean and Green meal at 2:00 P.M. some days and 7:00 P.M. other days?

Does anyone have any speculation and/or opinions on the average weight I can expect to lose per week at my size? I am impatient, and would like to average 3 lbs. per week, preferably 3 ½.

[stelar]

Hi! I just wanted to welcome you to the MF family! It is an awesome group of people. Unfortunately, I don't have answers for you but I know that someone with more experience will help you soon. Read through the boards or do a search for height or short & I'm sure you'll find some info.

[Nancy]

Dear Guest ~

Welcome to you and it is great to know that you are already through the first few days and most likely enjoying the fat burning state. I always chuckle when people say they are impatient – we are ALL impatient, Guest! We ALL want to lose an average of three or preferably more pounds per week…the best way to make it happen is to follow the Quick Start booklet and the program exactly as it is written. Eliminating a packet of Medifast food eliminates 20% of the necessary vitamins and minerals. Eliminating a packet of food does not optimize our health or increase the rate of weight loss and in fact, it can slow down our weight loss. I know it seems really weird to think that a 6 foot tall man needs the same amount of food as a diminutive woman but it is true. We need all 5 packets plus the 7 ounce portion of protein for the Lean and Green meal.

You may use low fat or non fat cottage cheese.

It does not matter what times of the day you drink the water – the later in the day may affect the trips to the sandbox during the night, however!

You may have the Lean and Green for brunch, lunch, linner or dinner.

People who have thyroid disease often lose weight at a slightly slower rate than those who do not; shorter people typically lose weight slower than taller people but do not lose heart – if you follow the program exactly right, you cannot fail – you will lose weight, you will look great and feel great!

It is important to not skimp on the meal portions and to never skip meal packets.

My car runs best on premium gasoline and I never skip oil. It will run on regular gasoline but it does not give me the best mileage or the greatest power when I use regular as with a lower octane. If I failed to use adequate oil, the engine could burn up and the car would take me no where. It may look ok on the outside but the powerhouse would be shot. We want you to have optimal health, to receive the premium grade food you need to keep on humming along – for top performance and dependable health, eat all five packets every day and serve yourself 7 ounces of lean chicken, fish, shellfish or meat.