Medifast Diet Plan

Medifast diet plan consists of pre-packaged meals, ordered online, and delivered directly to your home. Medifast offers all the benefits of a personal chef, shopper and nutritionist, freeing you to pay more attention to your life. So, it’s easy – no shopping, counting nutrition facts, or even cooking.

Medifast, Inc. was founded by William Vitale, M.D. in 1980. His products were sold only to doctors, who in turn prescribed them to their patients. The products are now widely available and includes 70 meal-replacement options, including the popular shakes. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and has over 300 employees.

The Medifast program is a very low-calorie, high-protein, no-brainer approach to weight loss. There’s no counting calories, fat grams, or carbs – you just eat or drink six times a day. Using the Medifast diet plan people lose between 2-5 pounds per week with consistent results.

The meal-replacement products and support are available online through Medifast’s web site at Medifast clinics in Florida and Texas, and through the Medifast affiliated “Take Shape for Life” network of health coaches.

Medifast Diet

The Medifast diet is a low-fat, low-carb, calorie restriction diet plan. Medifast claims that the diet allows the typical dieter to remain healthy while losing weight by inducing a mild state of ketosis where fat is burned instead of muscle. On a typical day, the targeted amount of caloric intake for a Medifast dieter is 800-1000 calories.

The Medifast Plan is much like other soft diets, in that the menu consists of shakes, bars, soups, pudding and more. Don’t worry about giving up choice – Choose 5 Meals from over 70 different, delicious Medifast choices, including shakes, soups, stew, chili, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, fruit drinks, iced teas, hot drinks, bars and puddings. If it’s kosher, low glycemic, lactose-free or even vegetarian, the Medifast plan has you covered. Medifast has specific plans that cater to the unique needs of women, men and diabetics.

The primary Medifast weight loss program, “5 plus 1,” calls for five daily Medifast meal-replacement drinks or foods plus one “Lean and Green” meal, which is a lean meat or fish plus salad or green vegetables. You have a seven-ounce serving of chicken, turkey or fish; a five ounce serving of beef, pork or lamb with at tablespoon of your favorite condiment like barbecue sauce, ketchup or mustard. You’ll also have your choice of side item, including salad greens, raw or cooked vegetables. You’ll eat at least three servings of vegetables with your Lean and Green meal.

The Medifast program encourages you to avoid hunger by eating every three hours drink your choice of calorie-free beverage, no less than 64 ounces (water is recommended). When you’re not eating your Lean and Green Meal and snacking throughout the day, you’ll choose from the dozens of puddings, oatmeal, shakes, scrambled eggs, and other low-calorie, nutritious meal-replacement items that Medifast delivers directly to you.
At the beginning, you’ll remove vegetables with a higher carbohydrate count, like corn and carrots, to help boost your weight loss efforts. You’ll slowly reintroduce these to your diet and they can be a part of your diet in the maintenance phase.

Research on Medifast

Medifast has been proven in multiple clinical studies and has dozens of real-life testimonials shared on its site. The diet and weight loss program has more than 20,000 doctors who recommend it to their patients.

A John Hopkins University study suggests that the Medifast plan helps participants quickly and safely lose weight by decreasing the amount of calories consumed. The study also suggests that participants with Type 2 Diabetes lost 2x that of individuals adhering to the American Diabetes Association’s recommendation. Additionally, Medifast shows results in participants with other illnesses, like hypertension.

Advantages

• Convenience – Easily ordered online through the official site and delivered directly to you
• Variety – Over 70 meals to chose from and, meal plans customized for woman, men, diabetics, vegetarians, and others
• No Pills – The Medifast plan does not involve taking medications

Disadvantages

• Prepared – Some dieters may find the Medifast plan somewhat restricting since they’re only able to consume the Medifast meals while on the program
• Scheduled – Medifast meals have to be eaten every 2-3 hours, which may not fit every dieter’s schedule
• Cost – Some may be put off by the cost of the program depending on how long they continue

Conclusion

For more than 20 years, Medifast has been a weight loss answer to more than one million people. The meals have gotten generally positive feedback, so if you need convenience Medifast may be for you. I’ve tried the meals myself, and found them appetizing but not very filling. However, since you eat every 2-3 hours it makes up for it.

There’s no question that if you follow the Medifast Diet, you will lose weight. And, if you can successfully change your lifestyle after you stop eating their product, then I think Medifast is quite effective.

Read more about the Medifast weight loss program at Medifast1.com.