The Medifast Diet Plan

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The Medifast diet plan is a low calorie program that is designed to take your excess weight off and take it off quickly. It is also very easy and not as expensive as people think if you use Medifast coupons when you place your order. There is no counting calories, weighing your food before you eat it, or any other complicated calculations. You simply eat or drink six meals a day.

Medifast was originally created nearly 30 years ago as a doctor proscribed meal replacement program. Today there are more than 70 meal options to choose from, including the ever-popular shakes and they are all available to order online or from a nearby retail outlet. Of course you can still get it from your doctor’s office if you prefer.

The most common program chosen by Medifast users is called “5 plus 1.” What this means is that you take five daily meal replacements (shakes or others ordered from the company) plus one “normal” meal that you prepare yourself. This “normal” meal is intended to be lean and green, meaning a high concentration of lean meat or fish with lots of green veggies and salads. This results in a high protein, low carbohydrate diet that totals roughly 800-1000 calories per day. All of which is designed to shed weight at a rate of approximately 2 to 5 pounds per week while maintaining muscle mass. The program comes with a recommended exercise regime so that you don’t lose muscle tone and so that you will stay in shape when on (or off) the program.

“Weight loss varies according to stage of the program, how much you have to lose and physical activity,” says Lisa Davis, PhD, who is the Medifast vice president of research and development. Most people lose the majority of their weight in the first few weeks compared to the later stages of the program.

Medifast has special diet plans that are available for new mothers, seniors, teens, vegetarians, gout sufferers and those who have recently had weight loss surgery. Costs for the meal replacements are $300/month or $80 per week and this does not include the cost of the “normal” lean and green meal. There are no additional supplements that are required while on the Medifast plan.

Medifast has a great web site that offers support and forums for dieters. You can place your order directly online, or access the plan through clinics in Florida and Texas.

The support you receive once you sign up with Medifast includes a vast array of educational products – including nutritional information, exercise guidelines and various online forums and communities. There is also access to personal trainers and even registered dieticians when you use their clinics in person. A 1-800 number is also available for those who don’t have access to the Internet. With all the support, there really are no excuses when you are on the Medifast plan.

Typical Medifast Day

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Medifast is a clinically proven, doctor supported, meal replacement system designed to help you lose weight and keep it off. This is a low carbohydrate, high protein diet that allows you to eat meal replacements for 5 meals a day and then you prepare a “lean and green” meal yourself at home.

What’s great about Medifast is that you eat 6 times a day, so you feel less hungry even though you are reducing your calories and losing weight. Five of those six meals will be ‘meal replacements’ provided by Medifast.

Depending on the meal plan that you choose, your daily food costs will be between $11 – $16 per day. The meal replacements require little or no preparation and so are very portable. This is great for who work on the road, or just don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Medifast is very easy to follow, since there is no counting calories or weighing your food. You just eat two prepared meals, three snacks and one “lean and green” meal that you fix yourself with their guidance.

For those with dietary issues, Medifast is very user-friendly. They have developed plans that are designed specifically for those with diabetes, vegetarians, gluten-free needs and certified kosher preferences. You can also choose from lactose free, shellfish free and the ever more popular peanut free options. In short, Medifast has you covered no matter how atypical your dietary restrictions currently are.

From the list of prepared Medifast meal replacements you have some great choices. There are:

• Shakes (chocolate, banana, strawberry, etc)
• Bars (cereal bars or power bars)
• Pudding (think dessert)
• Soups (and chilli)
• Scrambled eggs
• Snacks (like pretzels and cheese puffs)
• Drinks (which are perfect for when you are travelling, or just plain too busy)

You can pick any five of the above each day, whether you want to mix and match, or if you can’t get enough chocolate, you can consume five chocolate shakes if you like. No need for supplements, calorie counting or any worrying, Medifast has prepared it all for you.

Lean and green is the meal you prepare yourself (although not necessarily at home, as you can get these types of meals at pretty much any restaurant). This meal is a 7 ounce serving of lean protein (fish or turkey), non-starch vegetables and a salad. Basically it is what we all already know is a healthy meal. You can also find excellent support and great recipes online to help you prepare this ‘lean and green’ meal.

A typical day might look something like this:

Breakfast at 7am – scrambled eggs.
Snack at 10:30am – oatmeal raisin bar.
Lunch at 12:30pm – Medifast chilli.
Snack at 4pm – Chocolate shake. (Yum).
Dinner at 7pm – 7 ounce tuna and asparagus “Lean and Green” meal.
Snack at 10pm – pretzels on the couch after your workout.

This is definitely one diet program that anyone can get behind and enjoy losing weight.

Medifast Meal Plan Foods

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The Medifast weight control program consists of roughly 800-1,000 calories per day. This begs the question of just exactly what is it that makes up these calories. With Medifast you eat six meals a day, five of which are ‘meal replacements’ that you purchase from the company and the sixth you prepare yourself at home. Does it work? It basically saved my friend Joanne’s life.

The most popular of the meal replacements are the shakes, but there other varieties as well. You can choose from puddings, eggs, oatmeal, chilli, soups or bars. There are 70 different options to choose from. The base of the meal replacements are soy or whey protein. These high protein and low carbohydrate meal replacements are designed to fill you up and control your hunger even though they are low in calories.

Participants on the Medifast diet plan are also allowed one ‘normal’ meal per day. This meal is supposed to be lean and green, meaning 5 to 7 ounces of lean meat or fish and green vegetables. The plan suggests you choose between ‘lean,’ ‘leaner’ and a ‘leanest’ option. It is recommended that you boil, bake, poach, broil or grill your lean meat selection, never fry. So long as you go for the leaner options you can add some of the more healthy fats to the menu.

For vegetables your ‘normal’ meal should consist of three portions of either raw, grilled, steamed, boiled or baked greens. A quick scan of the nutritional material that comes with the program yields a list of the carbohydrate content of all vegetables ranked from highest to lowest. The very highest on the list are forbidden. These include peas, corn, onions, potatoes, carrots and Brussels sprouts.

Alcohol is naturally a no-no, but so too are dairy, grains, sweets and fruit. Most fats are off the list as well. You should consume 64 ounces per day of zero calorie beverages like: coffee, tea, diet soda, other sugar free drinks and, of course, water. It is recommended that while you are on the low calorie diet you limit your servings of caffeinated beverages to just three servings per day.

For a snack it is suggested that you eat celery stalks, popsicles, sugar free gum, Jello, or dill pickle spears. Carbohydrates are limited to just 80-85 grams per day during the initial phase, however once you transition to the maintenance period you will be allowed to add them back to your daily menu.

A sample menu might include the following:

Breakfast: Medifast oatmeal.
Snack: Medifast caramel nut bar.
Lunch: Medifast chilli.
Snack: Medifast shake.

Dinner:

LEAN: 5 ounces of salmon, lean beef, lamb, pork chop, three eggs, or 15 ounces of soft tofu.

LEANER: 6 ounces of swordfish, trout, pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, or lean ground meat. 15 ounces of firm tofu or two eggs plus four egg whites, plus one serving of fat.

LEANEST: 7 ounces of cod, crab, shrimp, lobster, flounder, grouper. A Boca Burger or two cups of Egg Beaters and two additional servings of fat.

With these dinner choices you must also have three servings of green vegetables, either boiled, grilled, steamed or baked.

Bedtime snack: Medifast chocolate pudding.

Is Medifast Supported By Doctors?

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Medifast was created almost 30 years ago by doctor William Vitale and was originally sold directly to doctors for use with their patients. The formulations are scientifically designed to be safe, filling and nutritious. Medifast has undergone numerous medical trials and is a proven way to help you lose weight.

The corporate headquarters of Medifast employs a scientific advisory board that regularly reviews the effectiveness and safety of Medifast products. These scientists are also consulted when developing new products.

The six members of the clinical affairs and research team have more than 75 years of experience in the field of dietetics. The members of this team specialize in adult weight management, diabetes management, weight loss (bariatric) surgery and kidney disease. Many are also certified personal trainers. The clinical team is there to support dieters through the 1-800 number and online, but they also conduct clinical trials and nutritional research. The team develops and creates a variety of program materials and assists in the development of new products. But it doesn’t stop there. They also hold training sessions, present research at symposiums and professional conferences, and speak at health fairs.

Medifast also has a nutrition support team and a product development team that is composed of doctors, nurses and trainers. As you can see, the Medifast program has a long association with the medical profession and is generally supported by this esteemed group wholeheartedly.

The most common weight loss program is the ’5 and 1′ plan. Under this regime you eat 5 Medifast meals that are individually proportioned and calorie/carbohydrate controlled, low fat high protein meal replacements each day. You also eat one ‘lean and green’ meal that you prepare yourself at home. The Medifast meals have been scientifically designed to provide the right amount of protein, fiber and carbohydrates. Additionally, they are fortified with more than 24 vitamins and minerals. You can even get a list of approved foods and some terrific recipes to help you prepare your ‘lean and green’ meal (or learn how to select the best that restaurants have to offer).

The idea behind the Medifast ’5 and 1′ plan is that within just a few days your body switches over to a mild fat burning mode so that you can (safely) accelerate your weight loss activities, but still preserve your muscle tone.

While other weight loss plans may be safe and effective, Medifast is the only one that has been independently tested and scientifically proven to be so. You can see the results of their many clinical studies on the web site, which includes peer reviewed research as well as a variety of in-house materials and data. Medifast encourages you to share this data with your physician.