Sticking to the Schedule

While doing Medifast for the last 2.5 weeks, I have discovered something pretty interesting...on the days I eat precisely on schedule, I loose weight every day...and if I don't stick to the exact schedule, I either gain a few oz. or I stay the same. I was reading a few days ago in the Habits of Health book by Dr. Anderson, and he describes why it is our bodies NEED to be fed every 2.5 to 3 hours. It is a way to condition our metabolism to stay high. By fueling our body every 2.5-3 hours we are keeping our blood sugar levels normal, thus keeping our insulin pump from over producing, therefore, keeping our metabolism in a state of fat burn. It is so amazing to read something, test it, and prove it right in your own body. I also noticed that when I wait too long to eat breakfast, and I let myself get really hungry before I have a shake in the morning, I spend the rest of the day chasing the hunger. On Sunday, I waited too long after I woke up to have my shake, and I spent the whole day being hungry. But on Monday, I had my shake within 30 mins of waking up, as suggested by Dr. Anderson, and I had no hunger the rest of the day, and lost 1lb. It takes some preparation, and a close relationship with a clock or timer, but I have determined to stick to as strict of an eating schedule as I can. Give it a try and see what you think!
I think that making sure to have snacks in between meals is on of the hardest parts of this idea. Sure, I can prepare a meal when I am supposed to during the normal eating times, but it can be a bit difficult to stop what you are doing to grab a snack. This is why I have loved this program, there is very little thinking at this stage. But for those of you not on medifast, or for those of you just looking for some snack ideas, here are some suggestions for your snacks in between meals. Each snack should be about 100-110 calories

• 1 cup puffed rice & 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 cup puffed wheat & 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 English muffin & 1/2 tsp butter
• 1 slice toast & 1 tsp jelly
• 1 rice cake & 1 T. peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 large apple
• 1 pear
• 1 small banana
• 1 cup chicken rice soup
• 1 cup beef barley soup
• 1 oz. mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup minestrone soup
• 1 cup turkey vegetable soup
• 1 cup chicken noodle soup
• 1 cup peas & carrots
• 1/2 cup prune juice
• 4 oz. shrimp
• 2 oz turkey
• 1/2 cup sherbet
• 1 cup apple juice
• 10 walnut halves
• 15 almonds
• 4 brazil nuts
• 30 pistachios
• 1 tsp. peanut butter
• 1 frozen fruit bar
• 1/2 cup fat-free frozen yogurt

-2 cups raspberries
-28 grapes
-1 cup blueberries
-1 cup mango chunks
-½ medium cantaloupe
-15 strawberries dipped in 1⁄4 cup Cool Whip Lite
-45 steamed edamame (green soybeans)
-2 tablespoons each of mashed avocado and chopped tomatoes stuffed in 1⁄2 mini pita
-½ red bell pepper dipped in 3 tablespoons hummus