Welcome to Medifast! My husband and I are doing the program as well and it makes it so much easier when you can support each other! The first week is the hardest but trust me it is worth it so hang in there! Feel free to add me and there are a lot of us on here that are on the program and we support each other all the way. Congrats on your first 5 pounds!

Great first few days!!!

I believe the recommended start date for LIGHT working out is 3 weeks. I advise reading this...

http://www.medifastmedia.com/med/docs/exercise_guide.pdf

After you have read the above, if you have more questions I recommend contact the "exercise and training assistance" forum on the main MF site. They give pretty solid advice (as it pertains to the 5-1).

I found this about exercise and starting MF 5-1. hope it helps!


Hello,

My name is Meredith and I am a Certified Personal Trainer with Nutrition Support.

While on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan, it is recommended to keep exercise under a maximum of 45 minutes of moderately intense activity per day. Any more than this may place an individual into conservation/starvation mode where the body would actually store the fat instead of burning it. Conservation/starvation mode also may cause an individual to become very lightheaded, tired, hungry, irritable, or experience a weight loss plateau or gain. Keep in mind that the 5 & 1 Plan is effective because it is a calorie-controlled, carbohydrate-controlled diet, enabling the body to enter into ketosis or fat burning. Exercise needs to be adjusted to keep this calorie/carbohydrate total consistent.

While exercising on our Plans, it is important to pay close attention to how your body feels. You may begin on the 5 & 1 Plan, but if you are beginning to feel the aforementioned symptoms, you may switch to a 4 & 2/scale back your activity. A 4 & 2 Plan is our modified fat burning plan which is most appropriate for individuals that are increasingly active and/or closer to their healthy BMI range. Remember that the 4 & 2 Plan still does not support unlimited exercise so be on the lookout for the same symptoms of conservation/starvation mode. If you feel energized and fine, they may continue with your current routine.

An option for some individuals looking to incorporate increased activity would be to follow a Maintenance plan with a deficit. This is accomplished by calculating the individual’s TEE (Total Energy Expenditure as outlined in the attached Maintenance Guide), subtract 500 calories, and begin to follow a Maintenance Plan with a deficit. This offers slower, steady weight loss, however your activity will be best supported.

As the body values/thrives under consistency, an individual should not go back and forth between plans. Rather they should stick with their modified maintenance plan for all days of the week as the body needs as many calories on days of exertion as days of recovery.

One you reach your weight loss goal, it is important to go through the Transition process and further adhere to your Maintenance calorie total. This way, your body will be properly fueled/healthy and you can begin to maintain your healthy weight.

I hope this information is helpful – please don’t hesitate to contact Nutrition Support with any further questions.

Meredith, MS, CPT