Defragged

When hunger strikes on the Medifast Diet, I know my body is out of the fat burning state and something I ate probably caused it. For example, a couple of weeks ago I made a flavored smoothie from a Medifast shake packet. I added some sugar free syrup that I already had opened. It was well over 5 years old; it still smelled good and looked fine. Almost immediately after I drank the shake, I felt intensely hungry. I knew something wasn't right. Additionally, the added flavoring was barely noticeable.

I contacted the manufacturer of the sugar free syrup and asked about the shelf life of opened and unopened bottles. They advised that on average their sugar free syrups had a 2-year shelf life for the best consumer satisfaction.

The question they didn't answer, and it was obvious to me it was avoided is whether their sugar free syrups would become caloric years after the shelf life. Perhaps even they don't know, but I am certain that something was not right. I have not used any of the old syrups I have had since and will be reordering soon. I have also not had such an intense feeling of hunger since either.

What I Do When I Get Hungry on the Medifast Diet

During those occasional times when I do feel a little hungry while on the Medifast Diet, the following has helped me get through it. But I always evaluate what I just ate or ate that day to determine the cause.

• Drink one or two glasses of water.
• At the next meal time, eat a Medifast meal that is heavy or filling like Medifast oatmeal using only 4 ounces of water in the mixture.
• Go for a walk even if I have already exercised that day.
• I don't generally eat a Medifast approved snack but once or twice (rare) a week I might if the hunger won't go away otherwise.
• I have found that if I drink 8-16 ounces of water with each Medifast meal, I am less likely to get hungry in between meals.