What Is Medifast? How Does It Work?

Medifast is a low-calorie, low-fat diet plan and the Medifast company offer to the meal delivery service that provides you with a meal replacement diet. Those diet are primarily made from soy, along with significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. There is no counting calories, fat grams, or carbs, you just eat or drink six times a day. A daily intake of 800 to 1,000 calories creates a deficit such that people enter a fat-burning state called Mild Dietary Ketosis. This state promotes the release of fatty acids as fuel and is achieved after about 72 hours on the program. Medifast is generally only used by the very overweight (BMI >= 30). In a clinical study, researchers at The Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center found that males lost an average of 67.41 pounds and females lost an average of 47.5 pounds after being on the Medifast program for sixteen weeks.

Medifast gets it name from "Medi" which symbolizes that the program is medically approved. Medifast is broken down into three major stages and aimed to help you achieve and then maintain your weight loss goals.

Stage 1 : The 5 & 1 Plan

This stage aims to restrict calorie intake and reach the goal weight. It provides six meals :

5 Meal Replacements Drinks Or Foods
1 Lean And Green Meal

You'll eat 5 Medifast meals, one every 2-3 hours, and 1 entree. The five meal are all available only through the Medifast company. The sixth meal, which you can have at any time and it is a entree you prepare yourself. This stage lasts for only a few weeks and you must drink a minimum of 64oz of water per day. Once you're at goal weight, you slowly wean yourself off Medifast food during Transition and Maintenance phases tailored to your ideal caloric intake.

There was another program called Medifast Complete Plan (Medifast 55 for women and Medifast 70 for men). It is a plan of complete meal replacement, you'll eat 5-6 Medifast meals a day, no regular food. However, in July 2012, Medifast phased out it and simplified the process by creating one line of six nutrition-packed shakes that provide both men and women.

Stage 2 : Transition

This stage is aimed at gradually increasing the calorie count of diets to allow the body to adjust to this change.

During this stage you will gradually decrease the amount of Medifast meals you eat and increase the amount of regular food. There is also a slow increase in calories up to 1,500 per day. In the first week, more vegetables are added followed by additional fruits, dairy and whole grains for weeks 2-4 respectively. These foods were initially restricted in the 5&1 phase.

It is important to note that all this happens over a period of 16-27 days depending on how much weight you have lost. The more weight lost during the 5&1 phase, the longer spent on the transition phase. In this stage, you should boost your cardio workout, for instance, weightlifting and walking.

Stage 3 : Maintenance

This stage aims to keep the weight off that you have lost.
The time span for this stage is 2 to 3 months and you should eat meals of no more than 1,500 calories. This is important since it allows your body to get accustomed to the new slim form and ensures that you do not add weight by slipping back into poor eating habits. A moderately intense exercise routine (eg 30-45 minutes 5 days per week) is essential to keep the weight off.

What Is Medifast? How Does It Work?

Stage 1 : The 5 & 1 Plan

Stage 2 : Transition

Stage 3 : Maintenance

Consist Of Medifast 5 & 1 Meal

Sample Menu & Best Flavors

Medifast Plus For Diabetics

Medifast For Women & Men

Medifast For Teens

How Many Calorie In Medifast Diet?

What Is Ketosis? Ketosis And Weight Loss Diet Program

The Effectiveness

What Is Medifast

Medifast Weight Loss