Medifast Review

What Is It?

What’s in a name? asked Shakespeare. Plenty when the name is Medifast, the portion-controlled, low-calorie weight loss program from Medifast Inc. As the first part of the name, “Medi,” suggests, this popular diet plan has passed muster in clinical research conducted by recognized medical institutions.

John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland found in a study that men lost an average of 67 lbs. and females lost an average of 47 lbs. during a 16-week Medifast trial program. Another John Hopkins study found that type 2 diabetics lost twice as much weight on Medifast as type 2 diabetics who followed a diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association. The people on the Medifast program were also twice as likely to stick with their diet [LINK).

Additional studies at the University of Vermont and Main State Prison have also found that dieters on the Medifast program achieved positive results.

Back to the company moniker, the second half of the name consists of the word “fast.” As in you will lose weight quickly. The clinical studies have found that most people lose an average of two to five lbs. per week.

How it works

At one time, Medifast was available only under the guidance of a physician. Today, there are plans available online and through distributors. The program consists of low-fat, low calorie meal replacement products, including shakes, soups, bars, oatmeal, chili and puddings. Medifast fortifies each meal replacement product with an optimum mixture of vitamins and adds an appetite suppressor called Super Citrimax, derived from the South Asian fruit Garcinia cambogia.

The 5 in 1 meal plan is the most popular plan. The regime requires you to eat six meals a day – five consisting of Medifast supplements and one comprising a serving of lean protein with vegetables and salad. Other formulations are available, and there are specific variations designed for both men and women.

The effect of this diet is it will cause users to enter a state of ketosis, resulting in the kind of rapid weight loss documented in the studies.

The good

It can’t be emphasized enough that dieting alone is not the solution for people who want to lose weight and keep it off. Better food choices and increased physically are critical to long-term success. Nonetheless, many people find themselves in positions where they need to lose significant amounts of weight, sometimes in a relatively short time. In some cases, surgery is the other option. Medifast has the research to show that it can deliver the weight loss goods these serious situations.

The five-times a day meal schedule is a positive aspect of the program. The more frequently we eat, the less hungry we tend to become between meals and the less likely we are to gorge at mealtimes. The fast early results can also be seen as a benefit. Fast results inspire people to keep to their diet and reach their target weight loss goals.

The bad

Losing weight through quick fix dieting has its downside. Unless the dieter works on behavioral changes, he or she will likely experience difficulty coping when the diet ends. The only way to maintain a healthy weight over the long term is to eat less, make better food choices and exercise more.

Cost

Medifast’s diet supplements (the 5 in the 5 and 1 plan) cost users about $10 a day. The cost of the “lean and green” meals is extra.

The bottom line

On the market more than 25 years, Medifast has been growing in popularity of late. On the one hand, this is surprising. Dieters typically gravitate to the newest and trendiest weight loss programs. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense. Low carb diets, after all, have been declining in popularity, and fast, convenient weight loss solutions such as Medifast are increasingly in demand. Add to this the recent positive medical studies and the accumulated recommendations of more than 15,000 physicians, and Medifast’s future appears bright indeed.

That said, this diet is not for everyone. It’s a powerful program best suited for people who have failed to lose weight through convention dieting and those with special medical problems.