Medifast Diet |

Medifast Diet Plan: What It Is

The Medifast program is a very low-calorie, no-brainer approach to weight loss. There?s no counting calories, fat grams, or carbs; you just eat or drink six times a day.

Launched 27 years ago as a meal replacement program available only through doctors, the Medifast diet is now widely available and includes 70 meal-replacement options, including the popular shakes.

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The primary Medifast weight loss program, ?5 plus 1,? calls for five daily Medifast meal-replacement drinks or foods (all available only through the company) plus one ?lean and green? meal, consisting of lean meat or fish plus salad or green vegetables.

The high-protein, low-carb Medifast plans allow dieters approximately 800-1,000 calories a day, designed to yield a loss of 2 to 5 pounds per week while preserving muscle mass.

?Weight loss varies according to stage of the program, how much you have to lose and physical activity,? explains Lisa Davis, PhD, Medifast vice president of research and development. ?Initial weight loss is usually much greater than amount lost in later weeks.?

Special Medifast plans are available for vegetarians, teens, new moms, seniors, people who have recently had weight loss surgery, and gout sufferers.

Davis estimates the cost of the meal replacements at $80/week or $300/month, not including the daily ?lean and green? meal you prepare yourself. No supplements are needed with the Medifast diet, she says.

The meal-replacement products and support are available online through Medifast?s web site; in about 15,000 doctor?s offices across the United States; at Medifast clinics in Florida and Texas; and through the ?Take Shape for Life? network of health coaches (Take Shape for Life is a subsidiary of Medifast).

An array of support services and educational material ? including exercise guides, nutrition information, online communities, personal trainers, and registered dietitians ? are available online, in person, or over the telephone to help dieters following the plan.
Medifast Official Site

Medifast Diet Plan: What You Can Eat

The beauty of the Medifast program is the limited decision making. You choose five daily meal replacements from an assortment of portion-controlled shakes, puddings, eggs, oatmeal, chili, bars, or soups, plus prepare one ?lean and green meal.? Soy or whey protein are the basis for the meal replacements, which are designed to help dieters feel satisfied on the very low-calorie plan.

Dieters are allowed 5-7 daily ounces of lean meat or fish. The meal options are broken down into ?lean,? ?leaner? and ?leanest.? If you choose leaner options, additional healthy fats are allowed. The lean meats and fish may be grilled, baked, boiled, broiled, or poached.

Add three servings of raw, steamed, grilled, baked, or boiled vegetables to the lean meat or fish to complete the meal. Vegetables are listed from lowest to higher carbohydrate content, and the ones highest in carbs ? carrots, corn, peas, potatoes, onions, and Brussels sprouts ? are excluded.

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Medifast Diet Plan: What You Can Eat continued?

Alcohol, fruit, dairy, grains, sweets, and most fats are also prohibited. Dieters are encouraged to drink 64 daily ounces of non-calorie beverages, including water, coffee, tea, diet sodas, and other sugar-free drinks. Caffeinated beverages are limited to three servings daily because the low-calorie diet ?may make you more sensitive to caffeine.?

Optional snacks include three celery stalks, sugar-free gelatin or popsicles, sugar-free gum, and two dill pickle spears.

Total daily carbohydrates are limited to 80-85 grams per day until the transition to maintenance phase, when they are slowly added back into the diet.

Sample Menu

8 a.m.: Medifast oatmeal

10 a.m.: Medifast caramel nut bar

Noon: Medifast chili

3 p.m.: Medifast strawberry creme shake

Dinner: Three servings of raw, steamed, grilled, baked or boiled vegetables, plus one ?lean,? ?leaner? or ?leanest? protein choice.

Leanest: 7 ounces cod, flounder, grouper, crab, shrimp, or lobster; a Boca Burger or 2 cups Egg Beaters, plus two additional fat servings

Leaner: 6 ounces swordfish, trout, skinless chicken breast, pork tenderloin, or 99% lean ground meat; 15 ounces firm tofu, or two eggs plus

four egg whites, plus one additional fat serving

Lean: 5 ounces salmon; mahi-mahi; lean beef, lamb, pork chop or 80%-

98% lean ground meat, three eggs, or 15 ounces soft tofu, with no additional fat.

8 p.m.: Medifast chocolate pudding

The Medifast Diet Plan: How It Works

Losing weight is essentially a mathematical formula: When you cut calories sufficiently, you will lose weight. The Medifast plan cuts calories severely, but, according to the company, helps dieters manage hunger. According to the Medifast literature, the meals and replacements are formulated for the highest fullness index (a calculation of fiber, protein and calories).

?Successful weight loss comes from eating a high-protein meal every few hours, which helps modulate blood sugar levels, control hunger [and] cravings, and preserve muscle mass while burning fat,? says Davis.

Experts agree that when you manage hunger, it is much easier to stick to a weight loss plan. But the adjustment to the very low-calorie Medifast plan may not be easy. Program literature warns: ?Until you reach the fat-burning state, you may feel hungry, tired, or slightly irritable. You may also experience headaches and light headedness.?

Once you reach your weight loss goal, there is a 4-16 week ?transition to maintenance? phase in which you slowly add back high-carb vegetables, fruit, nonfat or low-fat dairy foods, whole grains, and additional lean meat. The length of the transition phase depends on how much weight was lost. This phase aims to help dieters adjust to eating more calories, controlling portions, and choosing and preparing healthy foods.

Mild to moderate exercise is recommended on the Medifast program, but dieters are warned not to engage in activity beyond their normal levels during the first few weeks of the weight loss plan.

?Energy levels may be low due to fewer carbs and the adjustment to the very low-calorie intake,? says Davis. She suggests increasing physical activity after three weeks on the program.

Exercise is recommended five days a week during the transition to maintenance phase.

Medifast Official Site

Medifast Diet Plan: What the Experts Say

Most experts draw the line at 1,200 calories as the minimum needed for adequate nutrition, and say that dieters should not dip below this number unless they?re under a physician?s care.

?Any time you severely lower your calories, it is strongly recommended to consult your doctor to avoid potential complications,? says Carolyn O?Neil, MS, RD.

American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, agrees that the Medifast diet should be done with the approval or under the supervision of your health care provider. She says has used the program in a doctor?s office with diabetic patients with good results.

?This is a solid program, providing a nutritionally complete array of tasty foods and drinks that are ideal for diabetics or anyone who doesn?t want to weigh, measure, count calories, or prepare lots of food,? says Brown-Riggs.

She also says she thinks Medifast is a great program for anyone who wants a serious, low-calorie diet plan in which all the guesswork has been removed.

O?Neil, author of The Dish on Healthy Eating, suggests that anyone thinking of weight loss surgery try Medifast or another very low-calorie diet plan first.

?Weight loss surgery should be the last resort because even if you have bariatric surgery, afterward you still need to follow a healthy lifestyle, including calorie control and regular physical activity,? O?Neil says.

When considering the Medifast diet, dieters should think past the weight loss phase. The real challenge comes when you wean yourself from the meal replacements and have to learn to make healthy decisions about food.

?You can lose weight on the plan because it is so carefully controlled,? says Brown-Riggs. ?But once you go off the plan, it takes hard work, attention to healthy eating, and regular physical activity to maintain the lost weight.?

Medifast Diet Plan: Food for Thought

It doesn?t get much easier than the Medifast program, which is probably why it has been around so long. It can be a good plan for someone who needs to lose a substantial amount of weight, and ideally, should be done under a doctor?s supervision.

Be prepared for a serious adjustment to very little to eat and drink (other than no-calorie beverages). But if you?re serious about losing weight and prepared to change your eating and exercise habits after the weight loss phase, this could be the plan for you.
Medifast Official Site
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is director of nutrition for WebMD and the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic. Her opinions and conclusions are her own.

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