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By admin, August 28, 2009 6:43 am

As mentioned in the previous post, Healthy Behaviors Vital to the Medifast Diet, here are some additional healthy behaviors which you should adopt in order for your Medifast diet to work:

7. Engage in Physical Activity

While smaller amounts of physical activity can also be beneficial, it is recommended that teens are physically active for at least an hour everyday. Look for physical activities that you enjoy and can engage in everyday. Just remember to drink fluid regularly during and after physical activity to prevent dehydration.

Some suggestions for physical activity include: brisk walking, roller skating, gymnastics, running, jumping rope, hiking, swimming, playing on the playground, soccer, cycling, dancing, home exercise, pleasure walking, climbing stairs, walking your dog, volleyball and shooting baskets.

Keep in mind that a physically active body helps you build lean muscles and strong bones. It increases your flexibility, improves your balance and helps you control your weight. It likewise makes you feel good emotionally, increases your self-esteem and reduces your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Inactive activities such as watching TV and playing video games are associated with higher body fat. It would be wise to limit such activities to less than two hours each day.

Stop making excuses and start getting active now. A great way to promote a healthy lifestyle is for your whole family to get involved. Spend time together through physical activity. You can start by encouraging your family to take a long walk or a bike ride together a few evenings a week.

8. Have Specific, Realistic and Attainable Goals

Healthier eating habits start with having a goal. When setting goals, it is important to create specific, realistic and attainable goals. Take a look at your current eating habits and find out where you can make small changes to your diet. Some examples can be cutting down on sodas or adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Pinpoint the obstacles that may be preventing you from attaining your goal. Be conscious of them and find ways to address them. For example, if you find that you are constantly heading to a fast food after school, it may be wise to change your routine and look for another activity to replace it. Do not give in to peer pressure. Instead, find friends who can be supportive of your goals.

9. Keep a Journal

A journal will be useful for recording your daily eating habits. Take note of what you eat, how much you eat it and how often you eat it. If you have eaten something unscheduled or something that is not on your plan, do write them down. Also itemize the foods that you may be eating a lot of. Keep this journal handy and easily accessible so you can write on it whenever you want.

10. Eat Fruits and Vegetables Daily

It is recommended that you eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This habit can help keep you healthy when consumed as part of a well-balanced and nutritious eating plan. While five servings may sound a lot, it is actually not that hard to accomplish. Here are some examples of how you can have your five servings:

• Slice bananas or strawberries on top of your breakfast cereal.
• Have a salad with lunch.
• Eat carrot sticks for an afternoon snack.
• Stir some fruit into low fat yogurt.
• Blend fruit and low fat yogurt with ice for a great smoothie.
• Eat fruit cocktail with lunch.
• Add fruit to your Medifast puddings.
• Blend fruit with your Medifast shakes.
• Add a vegetable or two to your dinner.
• Eat fresh fruit as a mid-morning snack.

Encourage yourself to eat more fruits and vegetables by keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter and fresh-cut produce at eye level in the refrigerator. Try out a new fruit or vegetable when you visit the grocery and choose wide variety of different colored fruits to achieve the most nutrition.

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By admin, August 27, 2009 5:00 am

For the Medifast for Teens program to be a success, it is important that healthy behaviors are adopted as this will aid you with your short term and long term weight control goals.

Below are some of the healthy behaviors that will help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight:

1. Control Your Portions

Did you know that restaurant portions are two to four times the size of standard serving sizes? It’s no wonder that the concern on obesity is on the rise because serving sizes has now become two to four times of what they ought to be. Thus, when you consume one “restaurant serving,” you are in fact consuming more calories without even knowing it. This is what is called “portion distortion.”

Remember that calorie content increases with portion size. Always read product packages and do take note of serving sizes. For example, if a 20-ounce bottle of non-diet soda is listed as having 2.5 servings and each serving has 200 calories, this means that you will have consumed 500 total calories if you drink the whole bottle. That is equivalent to five Medifast Meals.

Meal replacements, such as the Medifast Meals, are an excellent tool for learning to identify appropriate portion sizes. Eating portion-controlled meals effectively reduces total calorie intake and helps maintain weight loss results.

2. Never Skip Your Breakfast

It is a well known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it helps ignite your metabolism. It gives you the energy you need to be able to start your day and helps you focus on your tasks during the day.

People who skip their breakfast have a lower metabolic rate compared to those who eat their breakfast. If you find yourself always on-the-go in the morning, there are some Medifast Meals you can choose from. These breakfast meals are convenient and perfect for those who simply do not have time to prepare breakfast.

3. Eat Five to Six Small Meals a Day

Studies have shown that the “three square meals” that we have grown accustomed to is not the best method of weight control. It was found that the ideal way to lose weight is to eat every three hours or when we usually experience physiologic hunger. This will keep you feeling fuller during the day and will prevent blood sugar fluctuations.

Medifast has a lot of ready-to-go meal replacements which are convenient for people with busy schedules. Further, it ensures that you eat regularly and properly throughout the day.

4. Eat Slowly and Savor Your Food

People who eat slowly are more likely to control their portions. This is because when the stomach signals your brain that it is full, it will usually take twenty minutes for the brain to fully receive the signal. Savor your food and chew them anywhere between fifteen to twenty times to slow down your eating process.

5. Drink Lots of Fluids

Always drink lots of fluids. It is recommended that you drink at least six to eight cups of water each day. You may also drink up to 16 ounces of calorie-free beverages. This includes unsweetened ice tea, herbal tea, coffee, diet soda and calorie-free drink mixes such as Crystal Light or Sugar Free Kool-Aid.

6. Eat Home-Cooked Meals

Studies have shown that home-cooked meals have a greater success rate when it comes to your weight loss efforts. Home-cooked meals are great whether you choose to eat these foods at home or bring it with you to school. It would be wise to limit eating out especially in fast food chains as much as possible.

We will discuss more of the healthy behaviors that make your Medifast diet a success on the next post.

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By admin, August 26, 2009 8:00 pm

Medifast has a program specifically geared towards teens. This program is designed to meet the needs of those belonging to the thirteen to eighteen age group. Medifast understands that teens have a different need that those of the adults as their bodies are still continuing to grow. Medifast for Teens is a simple and convenient program that emphasizes portion controlled eating at regular intervals throughout the day.

If you are considering the Medifast Program for Teens, chances are, you want either one of two things:

• you want to lose some weight
• you want to maintain your current weight as you grow taller

There is no doubt that Medifast can help you achieve these goals. The fact is, Medifast will help you achieve a healthier weight that will allow you to live a healthier and more active lifestyle.

It is recommended that you consult with your pediatrician or physician prior to beginning the Medifast for Teens program. Your pediatrician or physician can advise you whether this program is really right for you.

After your physician determines the right plan for you, work with your physician to decide if routine monitoring is necessary while on the Medifast for Teens Program. Keep in mind that your physician can help you ensure that your goals are met. Remember that the goal is not only to achieve a healthy weight but to achieve it through healthy weight loss program.

The Medifast for Teens Program consists of two plans:

1. The Weight Loss Plan which helps you reach your goal weight by promoting gradual weight loss through healthy food choices
2. The Weight Maintenance Plan which helps you maintain your current weight as you grow taller through healthy food choices that -

• control calorie intake
• nutritionally complete
• flexible enough to adapt to an adolescent’s lifestyle

The Medifast for Teens Program begins with the Weight Loss Plan and moves on to the Weight Maintenance Plan once your BMI is in the 85th-95th percentile.  If your BMI is below the 85th percentile, you can use the healthy behaviors you have learned in the Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance Plans and continue to use Medifast Meals for convenient, potion controlled meal add-ons and healthy snack choices.  This will help you maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime.

The Medifast meals for teens is high in fiber and combines the unlimited use of whole grains, fruits and vegetables with fiber-rich Medifast meals. This combination not only limits your calorie intake, it also helps you control your hunger. Medifast understands how difficult it is to follow a strict weight loss plan with the teen’s busy lifestyle. Due to this, the Medifast for Teens Program offers the flexibility and convenient use of Medifast Meals as alternatives to traditional foods.

A motivated teen and actively involved parents are critical to the success of the Medifast for Teens Program. Understand that big chances are difficult to do on your own. Always consider seeking the support of a sibling or friend to get active with you and to help you stay committed to your healthy new habits.

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