Medifast

Medifast is a low-fat, low-carb, ultra-low-calorie diet plan, that is known to allow dieters to remain healthy while losing weight at a rate substantially faster than they would lose under a traditional diet plan.

Medifast claims that when followed properly, their diet plan will induce the body to burn fat (and not muscle), a process also known as “ketosis”.

The Medifast diet plan is known to have helped more than one million people find an answer to their weight-loss problems, for over 20 years now, including people with pre-existing conditions, like diabetes and hypertension.

Overview:

The efficiency of the Medifast plan has been clinically proven and (allegedly) more than 15,000 doctors recommend the diet to their patients.

Consumer feedback for the diet and meals is generally positive and if you are looking for an established and time-tested way to lose weight, Medifast may be worth the try.

Medifast, Inc. was founded in 1980 in suburban Baltimore, MD and has been a major player in the weight loss industry for the past 25 years. They are officially to be found online at the domain ( www.medifast1.com ) .

According to Medifast, their diet system has been recommended by over 15,000 physicians nationwide and effectively used by over 1 million customers, claiming: "We enrich lives by providing innovative choices for lasting health."

The Medifast Plan is in essence similar to other soft diets and there are about 70 meal choices available to choose from. The menu consists of bars, shakes, pudding, soups and more.

Foods can be low glycemic, kosher, lactose-free or even vegetarian and the plans are additionally tailored uniquely to women, men and diabetics.

A study made at the John Hopkins University suggests the Medifast plan helps dieters quickly and safely lose weight by decreasing the amount of calories consumed. The study also suggests that participants with Type 2 Diabetes lost two times the expected weight. Medifast shows also good results with participants suffering from, for example, hypertension.

Pros:

• Convenience with pre-packaged foods
• Variety of food choices, over 70
• Reasonable prices
• Recommended by doctors
• Dieters typically lose 2-5 pounds per week, clinically proven
• Detailed maintenance plan
• Diabetic-friendly plans

Cons:

• You will need to cut some carbs
• The transition back to regular foods may prove tough
• Critics on low-calorie diet

Food and Recipes:

The Medifast 5 & 1 plan consists of five prepared meals and one "Lean and Green Meal." The L&GM will include a lean protein (a five ounce serving of lamb, beef or pork; a seven-ounce serving of fish, chicken or turkey). The side item can be chosen among salad greens, raw or cooked vegetables. With your L&GM, you'll have to take at least three servings of vegetables.

Customers are strongly encouraged, to avoid hunger by eating every three hours, and drink calorie-free beverages (water recommended), of no less than 64 ounces.

At the beginning, people need to leave out vegetables with a higher carbohydrate count, like carrots and corn. This is supposed to boost the weight loss efforts, but dieters can later gradually reintroduce these to their diet during the maintenance phase.

Exercise:

The Medifast website offers a well developed exercise guideline document. However, they do not provide a specific or personalized exercise plan, even if they promote daily exercise of an activity that suits each person best.

They claim, in order for the exercise to be most effective it should be something people personally enjoy, such as: jogging, running, dancing, swimming or walking. Dieters should find at least 10 minutes a day to get up and moving, but they should never do more than their body can take.

Customers get 70 meals for the price of $140.50, covering two weeks worth of food. There are also other packages (some going up in price) but discounts for bulk orders are available.