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Weight Loss Strategies

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The results are in for our informal non-scientific poll about the most stressful, anxiety producing aspects of planning and hosting the perfect event.  98.7% of you responded that more than anything else you were consumed with losing 5-30 pounds prior to your big event.  Losing weight beat out planning your meal, choosing the theme, decor, and party supplies, making your seating chart, and weight loss even topped finding the perfect outfit to wear.

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So to help you get a jump start on your special day, we have researched the various diet plans out there and though we are not doctors or medical experts in any way, shape or form,  in our heart of hearts we believe that Weight Watchers is probably the healthiest and best plan available on the market today.  Having said all that, if you are generally in pretty good physical shape and just want to take off a few extra pounds, we have decided,  based on all the research and on the personal experiences of friends and family, Medifast is the way to go to lose the weight quickly and easily. Plus, if you purchase the products online, there are no upfront costs –just the cost of the food you purchase.  The Medifast promotional materials say you can expect to lose between 2-5 pounds each week.  (As an added benefit, Medifast actually has a concrete  plan to help keep the weight off after the party is but a memory in your collection of  photo books.)

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The key to Medifast, as in any diet, is first to follow it, second to watch your portion sizes, third to work in as much exercise as possible, and lastly to not get discouraged if you go off the diet — the best advice we have heard is to immediately make yourself a shake to put you back on track.  The biggest problem with Medifast is that it takes a bit of patience and willingness to experiment to develop a taste for the pre-packaged foods they call Medifast Meals.  Basically you are allowed 5 Medifast Meals each day plus 1 lean and green meal of your choosing.  Many of the Medifast meals are certified Kosher Dairy and most are about 100 calories each.

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For your 5 MF meals you can choose between Bars,  Bites,  Brownies,  Drinks,  Eggs,  Oatmeal,  Pancakes, Pretzels & Cheese Puffs,  Pudding,   Shakes,  Soft Serve, and  Soups

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 The Medifast meals look yummy in the photos, don’t they?

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Medifast Meal Taste Tips

How do Medifast meals taste?  Truthfully, there does not seem to be a consensus.  About the only thing everyone agrees on is that the taste grows on you.  The first few days or so they can be a little tough to swallow but you quickly learn how to doctor the meals to not only be edible but also enjoyable.  One friend loves the pancakes but not the eggs.  Another loves the puffs but skips the pretzels.  Our suggestion is to begin by trying one of everything and then re-order only the meals that you like.

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To speed up the adjustment period, we have compiled a little cheat sheet on how to “fix up” or “doctor” your Medifast meals.

• Although the eggs are microwaveable, the chatter on the internet is that the eggs taste significantly better if you cook them the old fashion way, in a fry pan on the stove.

• Another tip is to try to add water to your soups at least an hour or two in advance of eating them. Better yet, soak them overnight.

• Adding splenda and cinnamon to the pancakes takes them from almost inedible to close to yummy.

• Add beef granules or Better Than Bouillon to the stews, mix in water and again, let it sit overnight in the fridge for best results

• The pancake mix can be used to make excellent  muffins just by adding a bit of splenda, vanilla,  a pinch of baking powder and 2-3 oz of water.

• For a satisfyingly crunchy alternative to movie popcorn, use Medifast oatmeal doctored with a package of splenda, a pinch of baking powder, cinnamon (or other favorite spice) and a tad of water.  Mix it together to form a dough, and drop dime size (or smaller) pieces onto a baking dish. Bake at 400 until they turn into browned and crispy granola snack pieces.

• Add iced coffee to your chocolate shakes rather than water to give your shakes a richer frappuccino-like taste.

• Although difficult to find, Torani Sugar Free Syrups make most everything taste better

• Invest in a good blender  or at the very least, purchase the Medifast HealthMate Blender, a mini-blender for designed specifically for creating Medifast menu masterpieces.  We have also read that a Cusinart Stick Blender helps to double the volume making you feel like you are eating more and helping you feel full longer.

• The shakes are generally considered the best tasting and most filling meal on the plan so if you need to lose the weight quickly and don’t want to take the chance of not liking a meal or are not in the mood to experiment with ways to fix up the meals, just stick with the French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate Shakes.

• Finally, for those of you who are craving pasta, although not a part of the Medifast diet,  we have just discovered a miracle noodle that claims to be calorie free, carb free,  gluten free and soy free. Serve the chili or any of the soups over these Miracle Noodles and add a whole new texture and taste to your basic Medifast meals.

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Medifast Cost and Coupons

Medifast starts at about $82.50/week of 5 Medifast meals/day + grocery additions for your lean and green meal.

To help defray the costs, each month Medifast offers new coupon deals.  We will try to post these coupons in the left sidebar under the Medifast banner as soon as they are released to us by Medifast.   Restrictions may apply including limiting 1 coupon per customer per month (so buy in bulk)).

Here are the September Medifast Coupon Deals

 

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Other Diet Programs Worth Exploring

Finally, since there really is no one perfect diet for everyone, here are a few more weight loss programs that come highly recommended for people looking to lose a few pounds before a big event

     

Bistro MD  Starting at $129.95 for 15 meals /5 days (no snacks)

Coupons Available  – email us  (Just copy and paste Bistro MD coupons in the subject line)

Founded by Dr. Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. one of the few medical doctors in the country who specializes in weight loss, with the belief that a diet plan should be healthy, delicious and convenient.

BistroMD™ delivers on that vision by providing chef prepared, doctor approved meals that help their clients to loose weight safely. It is considered among the best quality home delivery Diet Programs on the market.

Simple, Easy to Follow Plan:
Their team of dietitians and chefs have worked exhaustively to come up with a complete system that is simple and effective. Customers order from one of their four programs and enjoy tasty, nutritious balanced meals. Just heat, eat and lose weight – - what could be easier?

 

Smart for Life   Starting at $56.99 for 9 days of cookies (6 cookies/day) + grocery additions

Coupons Available – email us (Just copy and paste Smart for Life in the subject line)

Well-known for its popularity from clients across the U.S. and Canada, the Smart for Life® Cookie Diet is more than just a weight loss company. It is committed to helping its clients lose weight, gain health and positively impact the environment along the way. Smart for Life® weight loss products include natural ingredients that have proven health benefits including reducing cholesterol, increase bone health, improving intestinal health and maintaining cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels that are already in the normal range. Smart for Life® Cookie Diet has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose millions of pounds for better health, appearance and happiness. They offer consumers a perfectly balanced fruit, protein, fiber and vegetable cookie that truly is a meal that can be carried anywhere! In addition to their Smart Cookies, they also offer consumers a variety of weight-loss shakes, muffins, and soups. These products are a welcome addition to their cookie diet weight loss program and have gained tremendous popularity offering delicious variety to the program.

 

Zone Diet  Standard Zone Program starting at $74.95 for Zone + grocery additions

Coupons Available – email us (Just copy and paste Zone Diet coupons in the subject line)

The Zone Diet offers a variety of products to support a healthy lifestyle that are not available in stores but only from ZoneDiet.com. Established in 2002, ZoneDiet.com is based on the vision of Dr. Barry Sears, best selling author of the Zone Diet Books and a leading authority on the dietary control of hormonal response.

Among the variety of products  offered at ZoneDiet.com, patented, highly purified Omega-3 Fish Oil Concentrates are their core products and are deemed the top performing oil for concentration of long chain Omega-3 fatty acids, purity and oxidation by IFOS, the world’s strictest independent lab. They are twice as strong and 100 times more pure than fish oil sold in stores and contain the highest concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids in the marketplace, making it extremely economical. Some other products they offer are Zone Bars, Shakes, Pasta & Cereal, a line of Specialized Supplements and even anti-oxident rich Olive Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil & SeaHealth Plus.

 

Diet-to-Go – Starting at $90.99 for 10 meals/week (lunch and dinner).

Coupons Available – email us (Just copy and paste Diet-to-Go coupons in the subject line)

Diet-to-Go is about healthy eating made easy. They pride themselves on creating the best tasting, nutritionally balanced, freshest food available. They are all about making people’s lives easier through promoting common sense healthy eating choices.

Diet-to-Go is extremely customizable. With 3 distinct menus, calorie level options, and flexibility with breakfast, lunch and dinner combinations, there are literally hundreds of different meal plans to choose from.

Diet-to-Go is one of the few companies that offers a fresh local option with pick-up availability in 4 major markets at hundreds of convenient locations. Nationwide shipping is also available which makes Diet-to-Go accessible to just about everyone.

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eDiets - Prices vary depending on plan

The results are in, and the critics agree that eDiets.com is the best! Recently, eDiets.com’s meal delivery service, Deliciously Yours, was acknowledged by the premier award-winning food website, Epicurious.com, as the best meal delivery service. Judged on flavor, nutrition, portion size, convenience, variety, and customer service & support tools, Deliciously Yours earned 3 out of 4 stars and blew the competition away!

eDiets.com features the eDiets.com Weight Loss Plan, the Glycemic Impact Diet, the New Mediterranean Diet, and many more. We also offer 11 different Healthy Living programs for those with special needs, including the Living with Diabetes Plan, and the Heart Smart Plan.

Since 1997, eDiets.com has offered over 2 million members professional diet and fitness advice, information, services and products to help improve the overall health and longevity of its members.

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Party Hearty!

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