How Hattie Lost 300 Pounds: 'I Was Ready To Do Whatever It Took To…
14 Active Dates For Valentine's Day
Medifast Diet Review
Posted on Nov 13th 2009 5:15PM by Bev SklarFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
Have you ever been on a Medifast diet? If you were, you might have been wearing leg warmers at the time -- this diet invention has been around since the 80s.
You won't be grocery shopping much on the Medifast diet because you're required to buy their food. Medifast diet developers say you'll lose weight fast, with a two to five pound weight loss each week on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan. You eat often on this diet, but in very small doses. The 5 & 1 followers eat five pre-packaged Medifast meals each day, followed by one Lean & Green Meal featuring a lean protein, vegetables and condiments from their approved list of options. With 70 Medifast diet selections, you're not sucking down diet shakes all day. Food choices include chili, stew, soups, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bars, puddings and a few other mini-meals. But forget that turkey panini with veggie chips for lunch.
Medifast is all about calorie restriction. Depending on which meals -- or, really, bars and shakes -- you choose, you're getting around 800 to 1,000 calories per day. Not much, especially if you're simultaneously inspired to clean the junk off your treadmill and start exercising.
"Someone who is generally going to use Medifast is considerably overweight to begin with and not engaged in any physical activity anyway. The recommendation is for the first two or three weeks on the diet, don't do any exercise at all," advised Constance Brown-Riggs, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. She doesn't think Medifast can support rigorous exercise, but followers can engage in more moderate activities such as walking.
Brown-Riggs has put dozens of clients on the diet over the years with great success, noting it's a good way to jumpstart weight loss for the busy person who doesn't have time or won't take time to consider their food choices.
"It's a good way to get them started. Success breeds success, and once they're able to start losing, it's easier to transition them from Medifast to a regular eating regimen," Brown-Riggs said.
Nutritionally-speaking, meals do combine protein and carbs, so you can allegedly lose weight and retain lean muscle. They also have designed a meal plan for people with Type 2 diabetes. This diet isn't cheap, a four-week package of Medifast meals costs about $300. Comparatively, Nutrisystem costs about $350 a month, the Cookie Diet is about $240 and the high-protein Atkins diet sells a variety of a la carte bars, shakes and cuisine. The cost of the Jenny Craig diet depends on menu items ordered. Jenny Craig says their clients spend $1 more a day than the average American spends on food, but this ballpark cost remains a mystery until you start ordering.
Instead of choosing diets that require pre-packaged meals, try shopping the perimeter of the grocery store -- where the produce, lean meats and dairy are located -- and writing down all of your meals in a $5 food journal.
You won't be grocery shopping much on the Medifast diet because you're required to buy their food. Medifast diet developers say you'll lose weight fast, with a two to five pound weight loss each week on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan. You eat often on this diet, but in very small doses. The 5 & 1 followers eat five pre-packaged Medifast meals each day, followed by one Lean & Green Meal featuring a lean protein, vegetables and condiments from their approved list of options. With 70 Medifast diet selections, you're not sucking down diet shakes all day. Food choices include chili, stew, soups, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, bars, puddings and a few other mini-meals. But forget that turkey panini with veggie chips for lunch.
Medifast is all about calorie restriction. Depending on which meals -- or, really, bars and shakes -- you choose, you're getting around 800 to 1,000 calories per day. Not much, especially if you're simultaneously inspired to clean the junk off your treadmill and start exercising.
"Someone who is generally going to use Medifast is considerably overweight to begin with and not engaged in any physical activity anyway. The recommendation is for the first two or three weeks on the diet, don't do any exercise at all," advised Constance Brown-Riggs, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. She doesn't think Medifast can support rigorous exercise, but followers can engage in more moderate activities such as walking.
Brown-Riggs has put dozens of clients on the diet over the years with great success, noting it's a good way to jumpstart weight loss for the busy person who doesn't have time or won't take time to consider their food choices.
"It's a good way to get them started. Success breeds success, and once they're able to start losing, it's easier to transition them from Medifast to a regular eating regimen," Brown-Riggs said.
Nutritionally-speaking, meals do combine protein and carbs, so you can allegedly lose weight and retain lean muscle. They also have designed a meal plan for people with Type 2 diabetes. This diet isn't cheap, a four-week package of Medifast meals costs about $300. Comparatively, Nutrisystem costs about $350 a month, the Cookie Diet is about $240 and the high-protein Atkins diet sells a variety of a la carte bars, shakes and cuisine. The cost of the Jenny Craig diet depends on menu items ordered. Jenny Craig says their clients spend $1 more a day than the average American spends on food, but this ballpark cost remains a mystery until you start ordering.
Instead of choosing diets that require pre-packaged meals, try shopping the perimeter of the grocery store -- where the produce, lean meats and dairy are located -- and writing down all of your meals in a $5 food journal.
