Take Shape For Life featuring Medifast Meals

There are many reasons why it is important to drink water, especially when you are trying to lose weight on the 5 and 1 Program:

• Cravings are really a sign that your body is thirsty. So when you feel a craving coming along, reach for your water.  It’s the cheapest, safest appetite suppressant there is.
• Your initial weight loss is largely due to loss of water and that is why you need to drink a sufficient amount of water in order to avoid dehydration.
• When your body starts burning calories, it needs an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.
• Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume and this causes a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscles which can make you feel tired.
• Burning calories creates toxins in our bodies (think of the exhaust coming out of your car).  Water plays a vital role in flushing these toxins out of your body.
• Drinking water before and with a meal makes you feel fuller and will make you eat less.   However,  drinking water alone may not have this effect. In order to feel satiated (not hungry), our bodies need protein, sufficient calories and nutrients.  All of which can be found in each of the Medifast Meal Replacements and in your Lean and Green Meal.

Read our other post:  WHY WATER IS GOOD FOR YOU

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

When you’re on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, you have clear guidelines on what, when, and how much to eat for your daily Lean & Green Meal.

But what about when you’re dining out?

You can stay on plan with healthy Lean & Green Meals—or healthy options for the Transition and Maintenance phases—pretty much wherever you go. All it takes is a little planning and creativity. Most restaurants have choices that are compatible with the program, or can be, with a bit of modification.

The most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to ask your server questions about “customizing” your order. Most places are more than happy to accommodate special requests and many offer healthier substitutions for free, or for a small additional charge.

Here are some more tips:

BEFORE YOU GO

1. Review plan-friendly options so you know what to look for on the menu.
2. Do your homework. Check out the restaurant’s menu online or in person, or call ahead and plan your order in advance.
3. Get the support you need from family and friends who will be dining with you. Inform them ahead of time of your commitment to your health goals so there’s no pressure to explain at the table.

CHOOSING WHAT TO ORDER
When deciding how to have your food prepared, keep in mind that certain cooking methods can add unnecessary calories and fat to your food.

1. Choose foods that are steamed, poached, baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, or “garden fresh.”
2. Avoid foods that are fried, crispy, creamy, buttery, or served in pastry or with gravy or rich sauces.
3. When eating beef, choose filet, loin (sirloin), or round, and always trim any visible fat from the meat.
4. When in Maintenance, choose items made with whole grains such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread and pasta.
5. Get your food “naked”—with sauces, dressings, or toppings left off or on the side.

What’s the best way to feel fuller, wash away toxins from your body, increase your energy, and even reduce constipation? Have a nice 8-oz glass of water. Better yet, for Optimal Health, try having eight or more each day.

Drinking plenty of water is a basic Habit of Health. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s very important to keep yourself well-hydrated, especially if you exercise. The body loses water not only through perspiration and urine, but also from breathing.

When they say that water is the stuff of life, they’re not kidding. According to Dr. A’s Habits of Health, water makes up between 55 and 60 percent of your body weight, and you can’t make it yourself; you have to drink it in. Every function of your body needs water to work. Water is what moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and oxygen through your bloodstream and lymphatic system.

You may not know it, but by the time you’re actually feeling thirsty, your body is getting seriously low on water. If you only drink when you’re thirsty, you don’t have enough water in your system to keep functioning at your peak. Keep it up, and you may find yourself getting headaches, getting constipated, or feeling more distracted or fatigued than usual.

And it’s no wonder: When you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys can’t adequately filter and eliminate toxins and byproducts of metabolism. As Dr. A puts it, your body is forced to recycle dirty water, diminishing the efficiency of every metabolic function.

Keep bottles of water with you when you’re exercising, and sip continually throughout your workout. If you’re exercising strenuously in a very hot environment, try water enhanced with electrolytes to replenish potassium and other minerals that you’re losing through heavy perspiration.

Water is essential for those working toward a healthy weight. A recent study showed that drinking two 8-oz glasses of cold water could increase a person’s metabolic rate by 30 percent for 90 minutes. In addition, often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty, and a glass of water will take the edge off our appetite. A nice big glass of water-filled and refilled throughout the day-can help keep your body (and your healthy eating plan) in top form.

Since May is the fifth month, and getting to a healthy weight is the first step on the path toward Optimal Health, now is a good time to review the basics of the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan^TM.

If you can eat every two to three hours and pick foods you like from a menu, you can lose up to two to five lbs a week on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan.

You eat five Medifast Meals a day, plus one Lean & Green^TM Meal (lean protein and non-starchy vegetables) that you can prepare yourself to eat at home with family, or enjoy in a restaurant.

For your “5,” each day you can choose any combination you like from over 70 different Medifast Meals, including shakes, soups, stew, chili, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit drinks, iced teas, hot beverages, bars, cheese puffs, pretzel sticks, puddings, and brownies.

Medifast Meals are easy to bring along wherever your busy day takes you. All of them either mix up easily with water or are ready to eat right out of the package.

For your “1″ Lean & Green^TMMeal, you can combine a serving of lean poultry, fish, beef, pork, tofu, or selected veggie burgers with three servings of non-starchy vegetables such as salad greens, green beans, spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, and much, much more. The plan materials provide detailed lists of all the options available on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan.

Once you master the basics of weight loss and weight control through the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan^TM, you’ll be ready to start learning all of Dr. A’s Habits of Health, including the BeSlim® lifestyle and other secrets to living a happier, more fulfilling (and maybe even longer) life.