Medifast Diet: Complete Review

I work out at least 3-4 days a week.I work on the eliptical 45min to 1&1/2 hrs. I have been on the program for 6 weeks and have been doing well until now. I am hungry all the time!!!! I had not been before.I do not want to gain back the 20 plus pounds I have lost but I really do not know what to do. Please help me. Any suggestions out there?

Hi, I've been thinking about trying Medifast. I have gained 30 lbs. within the last 3 years. I have tried losing it and no matter what I do the scale just seems to go up. Yes, I did go see my doctor. He can not find anything wrong with me (including my thyroid). When I am not trying weight watchers (for the gazillionith time), nutrisystem, LA Weightloss, Slim Fast, etc., I am eating a regular healthy diet of about 1200-1600 calories per day (depending on the amount of exercise I did during the day). I exercise every day and alternate between aerobic endurance and vigorous cycling classes, strength training, running 3 miles, and/or brisk walking. It is frustrating because I see a lot of other thin moms around me who do not do all that I do to keep in shape, yet I am a lot heavier then they are. I personally feel that at this point I need to try a very low calorie diet. It is the only type of diet I have not tried yet. And of course, I want to do it the healthy way, which is why Medifast appeals to me. I truely believe that if I should ever get this excess weight off then my next step has to be focused on maintenance for life. I will monitor my weight every single day. Because I never want to be where I am right now. I bought one of those "fat monitor" scales. Wow, 40% of my weight is fat. That scares me. To the person that wrote about the HMR diet, I just checked out their web-site. I don't know if you realize this but most of their products are also soy based. I do agree with you that too much soy is not good for you. I found that nutrisystem gave me awful stomach aches (which was ALL soy). I am also a vegetarian, so my green and lean meal will have to include soy , eggs, or cottage cheese. I have noticed, however, that Medifast does have a lot of products that do not contain soy. Will someone tell me how the juices, teas and soups are? Also, I have another dilemma, I am going on vacation at the end of July for two weeks. It consists of a road trip and a wedding which I am in, so I can not stick to Medifast while vacationing. My option is either to start for 6 weeks, stop for 2 weeks, go back on Medifast when I get back. Or maybe I should not do that and just wait until August to start? Were any of you in similar situations, where you had to stop for awhile and then went back on it? If so, did it all work out okay for you?

I have tried everything and hate to be disappointed by yet another diet (and more $) but I feel I have to keep trying and never give up until this weight is off for good. Thanks for your help! Lisa

Rene said:
[...]

Try it with a spoonful of Splenda brown sugar.
Sure it's cheating but tastes WAY better.

I was on Medifast earlier this year and lost 23 pounds in six weeks. My cholesterol went down 100 POINTS and my ldl, hdl, and triglycerides went back to normal range as well. My doctor was very pleased!

It's the chili that I couldn't stand. :)

I was really looking forward to starting, now I'm a little unsure, I am already taking thyroid medication, will soy really affect the thyroid? In all my diet research I have not read that. Also, I only have to loose about 15-20 lbs, why is this not good for that?

My girlfriend and I started Medifast about 3 weeks before our wedding. It was hard to transition away from the robust tasting foods we had enjoyed, but after a few days - REALLY - the plan's food actually tastes pretty good. It does need spicing up, and time for the dehydrated bits to re-hydrate. But...what could be easier for a busy person? I actually began to look forward to the bars. We each lost 10 lbs before the wedding, and after diving back into high fat foods for about a week, both agreed that going back to Medifast was desirable! You actually feel better - wake up in the morning without a heavy feeling - and the scale PROVES IT!
Dave

Yes, people with hypothyroid (slow thyroid) should avoid soy as it can shut down what little is left of your metabolism. You should probably get your thryroid checked before starting any kind of soy based diet.

Tamara said:
I had success on Medifast once before, but feel that it contributed to my thyroid becomming less functional. Medifast denies this of course, but soy is a thyroid antagonist, and when you strictly do Medifast, you are living pretty much exclusively on soy. I was doing only the shakes, no meal. My weightloss was proceeding, if you could call it that,[...]

hi, thanks for all of the comments. I wanted to ask Tamara about her thyroid condition. May I ask how did you find out that you had a problem with your thyroid?
Also, how did you find out that too much soy could be bad for you? Last, what does the HMR stand for? Have wonderful and blessed day.

Why can't this diet be for someone who just wants to lose 10-20 lbs.? I feel I have "a healthy relationship with food" and I usually maintain my weight pretty well. However, after having my kids, I have this remaining 10-15 lbs. that I just haven't had the ability/discipline to shed. I just purchased 5 weeks worth of food and today was my first day. I love the idea of not having to "think" about dieting, just do what they tell me to do and lose the weight. I don't think I will have trouble keeping it off once I lose it, but if a few pounds creep back on, I'll hit the plan again for a week or two. Isn't that the idea, take care of it when it's only a few pounds so that it doesn't become 20, then 50, then 100?? I'm excited to give this a shot!

I have been on Weight Watchers Flex Plan for 13 months and have lost 48 pounds but it has slowed down recently and I find I have lost some motivation. I still need to loose 30-40 more (yes, I let it get out of hand). I exercise moderatly about 30 minutes 4 times a week (swimming and treadmill).

I want to get some more weight off a littler faster, so I just ordered 4 weeks of Medifast. I plan to use Medifast Monday - Friday and then Weight Watchers Saturday and Sunday (about 1500-1600 cal/day; I eat pretty healthy on WW). I may do a second round of Medifast later. Afterwards, I am going straight back to Weight Watchers - I will be on it for life. Has anyone ever done a similar approach?

I used medifast about 17 years ago and lost 40 lbs in 7 weeks. I managed to keep it off for nearly 15 years until I came under some extreme stresses in my job and family. My time available for exercise became limited; I became lethargic and started eating all my comfort foods (again) and I'm bigger than ever. HOWEVER, I KNOW Medifast works and I'm starting over today! 7/7/07.

Tamara said:
www.defragged.com[...]

My boyfriend and I have been on the diet for over 10 days. He's been adding a little extra protein and I've been strict. He's lost 15 lbs while I haven't lost one??? I got a little discouraged and called my sister on this and she told me that I should check my thyroid. This is good information to know. I'll have to check with my doctor to see if I have any thyroid issues. Thanks for the information Tamara!

what are the popular items to choose from on the medifast program?

You need a diet for life. What happens if you try any of these, lose weight, and then go off the diet? Are you going to continue paying them forever?

Find something that you can live with and be healthy for a long, long time.

I lost almost 70 lbs on medifast over a 5 month span. I have since gained 80!

Diet-Blog said:
I believe that OptiFast is stricter in terms of calories and is 100% meal replacements. The Medifast 5 and 1 incorporates one meal of "real food" daily. Someone correct me if I am wrong.[...]

No, you are not wrong Diet-Blog, the Medifast diet includes 1 real food meal a day. I love this diet, although I haven't tried it myself, it sounds much more sensible that all gimmick diets online. I've read everything about it at their official website, and I promised myself that if I ever need to lose a lot of weight, I would definitely use the Medifast diet. (Let's hope I will never put on so much weight :))

I myself am more like Nice Girl. I try to eat only healthy food and exercise everyday. I have one month to get in shape and lose a few pounds for my summer vacation on the beach.

i would like to know if anyone is just drinking the medifast shakes? i started this program last friday,and am only doing the shakes.

Yvonda,
it could be that you are doing too much cardio. Jim Karas wrote a book called the cardio free diet. Although I don't think that being cardio free is the best approach, from my own experience, I do think that doing that much can induce hunger. Do you lift weights? Here is the amazon.com link...perhaps you can find the book at your library.
good luck 2 you.

www.amazon.com/Cardio-Free-Diet-Jim-Karas/dp/1416949135

With regard to the taste of the Medifast meals, I find that they grow on you. The Oatmeal was gross but I discovered that you really have to mix it well with the water before microwaving. The "cardboard" sensation is just unmixed material which has hardened in the microwave. I actually have come to like the taste. The soups must be heated and left to rehydrate for at least five minutes before reheating. They are OK in a pinch.

I am starting my fifth week and have lost 15.5 pounds. I must admit that I am not trying to go the 800-1,000 calories route this time. I am eating only one meal daily of lean protein and lots of green veggies at that meal. I don't want to go into starvation mode. I did Optifast in the 80's and lost a lot of weight (60 lbs) very quickly but I gained it slowly back over the next 2-3 years while in a stressful lifestyle. I am trying purposefully to go a little slower on losing it this time, while maintaining my metabolism. Kinda of a self-designed program. I am not going to the clinic nearby which charges an arm and a leg to monitor you weekly. I buy the food online. The protein bars, while certainly not in the same class with peanut M&M's, are really quite tasty and fill the need when the chocolate monster attacks. Good luck to you all.

I have been on Medifast for almost 3 months now. I have lost 18 pounds total. I am very disapointed with this minimal weight loss for the $900.00 price tag.
I have contacted Medifast Support via telephone about my poor weight loss. This was at the beginning of month 2. I had at times been skipping a MF meal now and then due to lack of time and the fact that afer you eat one you will still be hungry so why bother. I got back on track and have been eating all 5 MF meals plus the Lean and Green meal and have been walking 30 - 40 minutes per day. I have not lost any weight in the past month. I called Nutrition Support again who suggested that "MF was probably not the diet for me." This made me very upset. I have emailed Nutrition Support 4 times and have never had a response. Not everyone has the success that is implied by this program. Believe me if you are not a success on this diet they do not want to hear from you.

Now that my body is used to only 900 - 1000 calories per day I feel I am stuck with this program until I find another hight protein low calorie dient to take its place. If I went back to eating real food now I would blow the 18 lb weigt loss immediately.
I have also never lost the hunger that this diet promises. I am hungry all the time. To appease the hunger I drink at least 2 gallons of water every day.
If you do not think you will be successfull with this diet don't bother with it. You will not be supported unless you are a success. MF's "Nutrition Support" is a total missnomer and basically a lie. Good luck.

I'm done with the Medifast program weight loss stage. I had about 30 pounds to lose, lost the first 10 by just not eating 3 meals a day. However, that gets old fast and so had the 20 to go. Over the years I was going through the change of life I had gained the 30 pounds. I would gain and not be able to lose the 5 pounds that came with a different hormone pill. Finally I went off the pill all together but the weight stayed on. A friend who has the same blood type as I do was able to lose on the Medifast program so I tried it. It took me a little longer than her to see results on the scale, however it wasn't long before my clothes fit better. As for the taste of the food, I really looked forward to the meals. I had a protein shake for my first breakfast, oatmeal for my second, soup for lunch (with a little chicken or beef broth added), a protien bar for snack and then dinner - lean and green - then before bed a cup of hot cocoa. I loved the taste of the foods I ordered and it was easy. I wish I could just do that for the rest of my life instead of thinking of what to fix every day but that's just me. I agree that you do have to change the way and what you eat to stay the same weight but isn't it worth it really?

elle said:
elle[...]

So, elle, to answer your question about optifast, My thought is that, esentially, it is a way for them to charge more money. But, the thing you should take into consideration, is that they have a staff to pay. Also, It is, when your so drastically cutting your caloric intake, to be monitored. But, I did ask my PA at work whether or not a diet that low in calories was harmful. I'm on Nutrisystem and don't eat all the extra stuff the say you should and my calorie count for the day was always between 1000-1200/day. She said it was definately the LOW end of the 'what should be consumed' but she said that it would not adversly effect me. She did suggest I take a multivitamin, but the medifast seems to be chock full of those. She also said that the girls in the office who've had the gastric bypass were on an almost no calorie diet for several weeks. I don't want to go that route. There's been 6 girls at work that have had they bypass, we've got very good insurance that pays for almost all of it. They all have problems when they eat certain foods. Things getting stuck in the little pocket of a stomach, low iron, hair loss, and they all went through a period for several months where they just didn't look well. As a matter of fact one of the girls just had it done for a second time, she had the first 'something' done probably 20 years ago, who knows what it was back then, but I don't think she's really lost any weight. She came back from her time off after the surgery the first morning carrying a mcdonald's bag! I was HORRIFIED. No matter what you do to get the weight off it won't stay unless you realize you can't do all the things you did before you lost the weight.

I did medifast when I was 16 and went from an 18/20 to a 10/12 in a matter of months. I kept it off until I was in my 20's. But, I quit waitressing and took a desk job and, about 10 lbs a year for the past 10 years brings me to where I am today. 31 and 219.

I've been on nutrisystem for the past 4 weeks and lost 17 pounds, of right about 100. I don't mind the breakfasts, and truly enjoy most of the lunches (I did steer clear of the tomato based meals, heart burn and indigestion), but have found the dinners utterly HORRIBLE. So, I've decide to switch to medifast. I'm immpressed at the sizeable weight loss and it's slightly, $25, cheaper than nutrisystem. In the long run though, because of the quicker weight loss, I'll be on medifast for at least a 1/3 (I'm hoping for half though) less time than nutrisystem. And, at almost $300, that's HUGE differnce!! Plus, the lean/green meal will allow me to eat the same dinner as my husband and boys (3 and almost 5). I'll be setting a good example for them at the same time. Teaching them proper eating habits while they don't know there's anything but.

Thanks to all who listened, or rather read, me ramble on.

I look forward to the next phase of my journey w/ medifast.

I believe, even w/ the 'Be civil' reminder, that 'wanting to loose' is right! I hope your mother asked for a divorce after that!!

elle said:
elle[...]

So, elle, to answer your question about optifast, My thought is that, esentially, it is a way for them to charge more money. But, the thing you should take into consideration, is that they have a staff to pay. Also, It is, when your so drastically cutting your caloric intake, to be monitored. But, I did ask my PA at work whether or not a diet that low in calories was harmful. I'm on Nutrisystem and don't eat all the extra stuff the say you should and my calorie count for the day was always between 1000-1200/day. She said it was definately the LOW end of the 'what should be consumed' but she said that it would not adversly effect me. She did suggest I take a multivitamin, but the medifast seems to be chock full of those. She also said that the girls in the office who've had the gastric bypass were on an almost no calorie diet for several weeks. I don't want to go that route. There's been 6 girls at work that have had they bypass, we've got very good insurance that pays for almost all of it. They all have problems when they eat certain foods. Things getting stuck in the little pocket of a stomach, low iron, hair loss, and they all went through a period for several months where they just didn't look well. As a matter of fact one of the girls just had it done for a second time, she had the first 'something' done probably 20 years ago, who knows what it was back then, but I don't think she's really lost any weight. She came back from her time off after the surgery the first morning carrying a mcdonald's bag! I was HORRIFIED. No matter what you do to get the weight off it won't stay unless you realize you can't do all the things you did before you lost the weight.

I did medifast when I was 16 and went from an 18/20 to a 10/12 in a matter of months. I kept it off until I was in my 20's. But, I quit waitressing and took a desk job and, about 10 lbs a year for the past 10 years brings me to where I am today. 31 and 219.

I've been on nutrisystem for the past 4 weeks and lost 17 pounds, of right about 100. I don't mind the breakfasts, and truly enjoy most of the lunches (I did steer clear of the tomato based meals, heart burn and indigestion), but have found the dinners utterly HORRIBLE. So, I've decide to switch to medifast. I'm immpressed at the sizeable weight loss and it's slightly, $25, cheaper than nutrisystem. In the long run though, because of the quicker weight loss, I'll be on medifast for at least a 1/3 (I'm hoping for half though) less time than nutrisystem. And, at almost $300, that's HUGE differnce!! Plus, the lean/green meal will allow me to eat the same dinner as my husband and boys (3 and almost 5). I'll be setting a good example for them at the same time. Teaching them proper eating habits while they don't know there's anything but.

Thanks to all who listened, or rather read, me ramble on.

I look forward to the next phase of my journey w/ medifast.

wanting to loose said:
Sorry, to say this, but your Dad is a DICK[...]

wanting to loose said:
Sorry, to say this, but your Dad is a DICK[...]

I would like to lose about 30 pounds and would like to give Medifast a try but I am getting mixed messages from everyone which is very confusing. I guess i just need to hear more postive results before I decide to pay hundereds of dollars for this plan.

FAST AND FURIOUS FAILURE! I tried this for 5 days during a stressful time of career transition. I also work in healthcare and agree that lifestyle change TRULY is the solution to long term weight control and healthy lifestyle. I am technically 50 lbs overweight. My "coach" a medifast grad tried to help keep me in and had a hard time believing that IT FAILED! I am not returning to my sluggish ways, just going back to tried and true: Proper low fat, low carb excersise driven lifestyle. Quick fix didn't help me!

I used medifast to lose weight for the army. I lost 40 lbs in abou 4 1/2 months. I hate the taste of the soups and the shakes! The whole thing is really gross, but it really works. I don't believe that it makes you lose muscle since I was able to pass all of my pushup and situp tests along with a two mile run. I felt really healthy on this diet and had a lot of energy. I'm pregnant right now and have gained about 20 lbs so far in 6 months. I'll definitely be going back to Medifast after the baby is born! It doesn't have to be expensive. There's a website called Coastmed where you can get the products a lot cheaper and chose which ones you want. You don't have to buy the expensive packages on the Medifast website.

I have been on the HMR Decision Free Diet for 14 weeks now and have lost 25 lbs. You can visit the site for the clinic I go to www.tidewaterbariatrics.com to read about the HMR program. After my blood tests were taken I discovered that I had a thyroid problem. Along with other symptoms of underactive thyroid I also had very dry skin and dandruff in my eyebrows. I feel so much better thanks to my Dr., her clinic and the HMR Program. I do recommend this program because of its medical supervision. The shakes and entrees are good. Hope that helps.

I just began Medifast 4 days ago and have already lost 9 1/2 pounds! The food is not great but really, what does one expect for diet food... I take Hoodia if I get hungry.

I just tried this diet. The first thing I tried, the oatmeal, tasted like flour mixed with water, with a medicine after taste. There is no way I could eat it - I really did try! On the plus side, they give you a 30 day guarantee, and they took care of processing my return, without any hassles whatsoever. If you really want to try this, you can do so without spending too much if it doesn't work out for you.

Getting ready to start something so I'm researching now... what's the difference between an expensive plan like Medifast or something easily purchased right at the local store like SlimFast?

I was so psyched to start Medifast and loose 20lbs in a month... I ordered a months worth of "food" for $300.00. I am so disapointed! How can anyone tolerate this "food"? The shakes are gritty and gross, the oatmeal has a horrible artifical sweetner taste, the beef stew is yuck, chicken soup...even that is bad. Broccoli soup is nasty. The Hot cocoa is drinkable and the Chai Latte is the only palattable supplement. Chocolate pudding taste is not bad, but the texture was questionable. I mixed it a day before and by the next day it broke down and was like soup. I'm trying to succeed on Medifast, but I am running out of supplements that I can tolerate eating. I am considering sending the unopened packages back and turning to a High Protein Diet and eating 5-6 times a day. The premise of the Medifast Diet is great in that you eat 5 small meals a day which are about 100 calories and a "real" Lean & Green meal which is about 300 calories.

I wish I had read more real comments before shelling out $300.00 for unedible supplements.

Rene said:
[...]

I did the liquid medifast about 18 years ago and lost about 75lbs. I had already lost about 30 before starting. It was supervised through a doctor. I did not transition off of it the way you are suppose to. I quit cold turkey. I managed to keep the weight off for about a year. I was walking to work everyday. I gained back the 100 lbs plus about another 100. I have gone on other plans and have maybe lost 40-60 lbs at a time, but have never managed to keep it off. The same doctor is still offering the plan. I am considering going back on the program. My concerns are as follows...I am told the soy contributes to the harboring of estrogen in your body. Estrogen is stored in body fat and can be a big concern for uterine cancer. On someone else's response, he/she felt that is was detrimental to the thyroid. I know it worked for me in the past and I am desperate. But..I also know that I overeat, eat the wrong foods and do not exercise. I have no one to blame but myself. Not sure what to do. The plan would be all shakes, no food.

I have been on Medifast for 2 weeks now. The food taste o.k. The only problem that I have is very loose stools and still have a disire to eat food(chew).
Does anyone know if you can have green veges throughout the day ex. celery, cucumber etc... just for the crunch. Also, where can we get receipes for the diet.

Thanks for your help.

mimi anne said:
I have been on Medifast for 2 weeks now. The food taste o.k. The only problem that I have is very loose stools and still have a disire to eat food(chew).
Does anyone know if you can have green veges throughout the day ex. celery, cucumber etc... just for the crunch. Also, where can we get receipes for the diet.[...]

I am told that if you are strictly on shakes, eating even just a little, like crackers, is enough to pull you out of ketosis and make you start the whole process over again.

I saw the Dr. today and got my questions answered..there is not enough soy in the product to create enough estrogen to do any damage. IN fact, being obese creates more than our fair share and can be very dangerous. No truth to the thyroid problems, either. Our thyroids are actually funtioning slower than normal due to being obeses and lack of exercise. I have decided to do it again. Will be officaily starting in 4 days. :) I am very nervous!!

Medifast has worked so well for me. In the last 3 months I have lost about 30 pounds and I am now at my goal weight. The supplements are very good for the most part and having them 5 times a day with 1 regular lean and green meal REALLY controls hunger. I think it is perfect for someone that feels the need to have discipline and control along with convenience of the packets and bars. I think it gives you more time to focus on other things in your life. It may take 3 or 4 days before the hunger is under control- but it is WELL WORTH IT. I recommend highly!!

I did great on Medifast 3 years ago. I lost 65 Lbs. in 4 months. I did not cheat at all. But once I went off the program, I craved food. I gained 50 Lbs. back. I want to go back on the program but I am finding it very hard to get motivated to do it. Summer is right around the corner and I am miserable at the weight I am at. I found that I was hungry most of the time on Medifast. I need quick results so I know Medifast is the safest way. Any suggestions on getting started, dealing with hunger and the need to chew?

Spectra said:
Kalente--my mom thought the shakes tasted terrible. She only really could tolerate the chocolate ones. I guess the strawberry ones were really disgusting. She said they were chalky and kind of thick and slimy (probably from the agar that was in them to thicken them)[...]

The chocolate ones are the only ones that taste good. The other shakes are horrible. The chili was horrible, it tasted like chalk and water.

What are the side effects, such as; sagging skin, heart palpitations, and which of their foods taste the worse? Thank you.

Why isn't this diet for people who just want to lose 20 lbs?