has anyone tried medifast?

Chiquita_Banana

there's going to be a seminar at my job for medifast... i think they'll be doing it everymonth or so now, just wondering what people think about it, i'm not sure i'll use it because i think i'm doing ok with my own food, just curious

mem50

Personally, I would stick with my own food. Never been one to go for pre-made food plan. I'm sure if you ate what they sent you could do well, but once you stop? Hmmmm.......

tolygal

Never tried it, but I'd suggest sticking to your own food. The pre-made food might work while you use it, but it's probably expensive and you probably won't use it forever. I'd hate to see you struggle when you start using your own food again... I know I would struggle....

MzBug

I tried a 1 week sampler package (had a coupon for 1/2 off). The bars are ok, the rest was horrible. Go to the show and get some samples if you can. Try it before you invest in it. There was no way I could do their plan with that glop they called food. I have heard it has worked for others. It may work for you.

Chiquita_Banana

yeah i love to cook too

pressica

I have researched it quite a bit. I have read that the meals and shakes make your breath smell bad because of the soy, etc they use in it. If you love to cook, I would probably stick with that. I have a friend who is on Medifast, and she has lost over 50 pounds in a short amount of time, but she also said she gets gas which she lovingly refers to as Medifarts. Good luck!

Chiquita_Banana

I have researched it quite a bit. I have read that the meals and shakes make your breath smell bad because of the soy, etc they use in it. If you love to cook, I would probably stick with that. I have a friend who is on Medifast, and she has lost over 50 pounds in a short amount of time, but she also said she gets gas which she lovingly refers to as Medifarts. Good luck!

lol medifarts... i'll stick to my cooking, i may sit in on the seminar just to see what its about but i doubt i'll do it

lassi_cat

I am using the Take Shape for Life program using Medifast meals. It costs a bit more than groceries, but not more than I would spend on a few extra mocha's or other treats each week. It adds up to about $15 per day including the "lean and green" meal you make yourself. The food is a bit of an acquired taste, but it's not bad tasting at all. It is very nutritionally sound and it has a transition phase to help you get back to eating real food again. The cost of the meals comes with free personal health coaching to help you stay on track. You can look at how it works on my page http://www.thinagain.tsfl.com/. The Medifast meals combined with personal attention and the transition and maintenance program seems to be extremely helpful in long term results because it focuses on life long wellness and healthier lifestyle. It's no longer just a "diet".

priskar

Just be very careful of how many calories you take in per day with Medifast. I did the program very briefly for a while as it was very similar to a fasting program I did years earlier. Make sure you get in all the proper nutrients and you're getting in at least 1200 cals a day. You can read my blog or Google "Thrifty Metabolism" or "Diet Induced Obesity" (DIO) that are/were common after many of the high protein fasting programs that began during the early '90's. It can seriously slow down your metabolism and researchers are not in consensus if it truly can be reversed or not.

I learned of these things just after starting the program and could never get a clear answer. Hopefully you can. Since you posted, I'd recommend trying to find balance with real food if possible.

Good luck to you in your endeavors! Priska

Babbs1977

I'm down 72 lbs since April, and I have a friend who's lost 115+ since December. To be completely honest, the plan is great to shed weight quickly if you're really obese like I was (252lbs at 5'2") or have a medical condition (I was on the verge of Type II Diabetes), but it gets old quickly. After 7+ months on the plan I'm having a hard time sticking to it. I want to exercise and eat normally, which you can't do and still stay on the plan.

If you need it as a jump start, or you have a lot of weight to lose, give it a try...if you have less than 50lbs to lose I'd say try it the old fashioned way!

wannbAhottie

Many Moon's ago I tried Medifast and I lost a lot of weight, and............................ here I am still working at taking the weight off. It was hard to not really eat and when I did eat I would stuff myself. It didn't teach me how to live a normal healthy food life, I gained all the weight back and then some once I stopped. That's just my story and I feel we all need to do what will work for us. Best wishes in you Journey.

luv2ash

there's going to be a seminar at my job for medifast... i think they'll be doing it everymonth or so now, just wondering what people think about it, i'm not sure i'll use it because i think i'm doing ok with my own food, just curious

I have been on this plan for almost 5 months now and lost 73 pounds. Some of the comments here are from uneducated folks about the plan. This is a plan to help you get your life back in shape, IT IS NOT A DIET! With proper coaching, you will learn everything about th eplan, recipes for the packs of food that make them taste even better than they arleady are!!! A lot of coaching that involves thinking about the future and your new way of health. This plan is not a temporary fix. Once you are done with the weight loss phase, you will be transitioned, a very long processes that involves adding in fruit and whole grains, and then you will go to maintenance. The whole idea is to not revert back to your older ways, before you started the program, that defeats the whole purpose.

Oh yea, and you can exercise on this plan. I exercise every day, aerobics and lift weights. This plan absolutely rock!!!

luv2ash

Many Moon's ago I tried Medifast and I lost a lot of weight, and............................ here I am still working at taking the weight off. It was hard to not really eat and when I did eat I would stuff myself. It didn't teach me how to live a normal healthy food life, I gained all the weight back and then some once I stopped. That's just my story and I feel we all need to do what will work for us. Best wishes in you Journey.

Did you have a coach to guide you through the process? It is a committment you have to make to get rid of your old habits before you start the plan. I was ever so ready. I learned almost instantly what negative effects all that bad food in our world has done to me. I learned instantly how I can pick and choose what I eat to benefit me. Not sure why you would stuff yourself???? You must not have been committed to change your lifestyle. If you eat MF meal every 2-3 hours, you will not be hungry and will not have cravings, hence there is no need to stuff yourself. Maybe someday you can give it another 2nd chance??? Best of luck.

luv2ash

I'm down 72 lbs since April, and I have a friend who's lost 115+ since December. To be completely honest, the plan is great to shed weight quickly if you're really obese like I was (252lbs at 5'2") or have a medical condition (I was on the verge of Type II Diabetes), but it gets old quickly. After 7+ months on the plan I'm having a hard time sticking to it. I want to exercise and eat normally, which you can't do and still stay on the plan.

If you need it as a jump start, or you have a lot of weight to lose, give it a try...if you have less than 50lbs to lose I'd say try it the old fashioned way!

Eating "normally" is what got me in the position to need Medifast in the first place. MF has taught me the negative effects of all my normal eating and how I need to change that to help my life for long-term.

Did you have a coach when you did the plan? You can exercise, so I am not sure why you are making that statement. I exercise every day, aerobics and weights. They want you to not exercise any more than 45 mins, but I usually go to an hour and just add 2 ounces of protein to my meals to compensate for that. Something a coach can help you with. I would not use this plan as a jump start, but rather I would recommend the plan as new way of life because there is a lot to learn from it.

luv2ash

Just be very careful of how many calories you take in per day with Medifast. I did the program very briefly for a while as it was very similar to a fasting program I did years earlier. Make sure you get in all the proper nutrients and you're getting in at least 1200 cals a day. You can read my blog or Google "Thrifty Metabolism" or "Diet Induced Obesity" (DIO) that are/were common after many of the high protein fasting programs that began during the early '90's. It can seriously slow down your metabolism and researchers are not in consensus if it truly can be reversed or not.

I learned of these things just after starting the program and could never get a clear answer. Hopefully you can. Since you posted, I'd recommend trying to find balance with real food if possible.

Good luck to you in your endeavors! Priska

The plan was developed by physicians. Each MF meal has the proper nutrients. You are not to go over 1000 calories a day while on MF. This is not a fasting program, we eat like kings and queens. I drink Frosty's. I eat ice cream. I eat pancakes. I eat cakes. I eat grilled cheese sandwhiches on this plan! That does not sound like a fasting plan to me. It is a proper balance between carbs and protein that puts you in a very MILD state of ketosis, which is the chemical reaction your body does to burn FAT!!!!! All of the protein eaten on MF is lean meat. We don't gorge out on bacon or burgers.

luv2ash

I tried a 1 week sampler package (had a coupon for 1/2 off). The bars are ok, the rest was horrible. Go to the show and get some samples if you can. Try it before you invest in it. There was no way I could do their plan with that glop they called food. I have heard it has worked for others. It may work for you.

there is a gazzillion things you can do those packs to make them taste so much better for you. If you had a coach, you could have shared that with them and they could have helped you get past it. I get to eat grilled cheese, frostys, ice cream, cakes, muffins, cookies, pancakes. I seriously don't feel like I am eating any kind of diet food. OH yea, this is not a diet, thats right! Its a new way of life.

katbass

I always stear clear of anything that requires a coach or the purchase of food through only one source like a company who makes money off my weight loss. I think the best, most effective life change is one that you control yourself without the need for a plan that was devised by soemone other than yourself. Especially if you love to cook, I would stick with regular grocery shopping the healthy way and working out.

And as a side note: Luv2ash, you get more flies with honey. Telling people that they werent commited enough or shoudlve worked harder or that they are uneducated is likely NOT going to make folks run back to Medifast. Why not offer kind advice or suggestions instead of trying to make people feel like failures on a plan that is, quite frankly, not for everyone. That's great that it works for you for now, but liek the other posters (including those who have had success with Medifast) have stated, I wonder what will happen when you stop following someone else's plan and start waqlking the aisles of a regular grocery store. Sure Medifast has helped you change your old habits and "see the light", but MFP and calorie counting has done the same for me and many others..for free, and all while I was in control and accountable ONLY to myself. Just food for thought.

kathieh1

Hi - I'm new here, and only two weeks on Medifast this time but I feel I've got some perspective as I lost 45 pounds on it a few years ago. That time I didn't use the personal coach aspect (Take Shape for Life) but just used the Medifast website and their support boards which are plentiful. I'm convinced it's a very healthy eating plan - never felt better than I did on it, as higher protein, balanced diet works to keep me from having cravings. I like Medifast because there is a lot of variety and choice, and yet it's simple and structured too. I'd say if you have a lot of weight to lose, more than fifty pounds for example, it's a good one to consider. I don't consider it a diet but a changed way of eating and opportunity to break the behavioral habits that got me overweight. After a few days your taste buds adjust to the tastes of the foods and they actually are very good.

Medifast, just like any other diet, is one you ARE doing yourself - one meal and choice at a time. The Lean and Green meal every day you prepare yourself using "real" food. I don't think we have to put other people here down and it's all real food.. just a matter of making the choice that is right for each of us.

This time I'm doing the Take Shape for Life version since I have a friend who lost 70 pounds with that and is now a coach, but I think it could work well either way.

wondergirl1003

I did medifast and lost about 30 lbs. My mom did it as well and had lost a significant amount of weight. Sure it works, but I hated it. Yeah, I'm like everyone else and I like to see the scale go down every week, but I also want to be happy and enjoy myself. Eating little packets of food does not equal enjoyment for me. So you can have pancakes, ice cream and what not, but that's all you get for that meal. I'd rather have a variety of good tasting, healthy foods in a meal than one mediocre tasting item every couple of hours. And the program didn't teach me what healthy eating was, so as soon as I stopped I gained everything back.

I'd like to add that the "coaches" are just people who have done the diet and have the time to cheer you on. There are plenty of success stories on this site that are motivating too. And they don't make money off of the people they motivate like the coaches on medifast. In my opinion, stick with what you're doing. This is the way you truly learn how to make healthy choices throughout the day. Reaching for some prepackaged dog food is not going to teach you how to be healthier. It's going to teach you to grab something easy. Easy may bring results, but I have yet to see easy KEEP results.

LAWYERMOM3000

Hi - I'm new here, and only two weeks on Medifast this time but I feel I've got some perspective as I lost 45 pounds on it a few years ago. That time I didn't use the personal coach aspect (Take Shape for Life) but just used the Medifast website and their support boards which are plentiful. I'm convinced it's a very healthy eating plan - never felt better than I did on it, as higher protein, balanced diet works to keep me from having cravings. I like Medifast because there is a lot of variety and choice, and yet it's simple and structured too. I'd say if you have a lot of weight to lose, more than fifty pounds for example, it's a good one to consider. I don't consider it a diet but a changed way of eating and opportunity to break the behavioral habits that got me overweight. After a few days your taste buds adjust to the tastes of the foods and they actually are very good.

Medifast, just like any other diet, is one you ARE doing yourself - one meal and choice at a time. The Lean and Green meal every day you prepare yourself using "real" food. I don't think we have to put other people here down and it's all real food.. just a matter of making the choice that is right for each of us.

This time I'm doing the Take Shape for Life version since I have a friend who lost 70 pounds with that and is now a coach, but I think it could work well either way.

I agree with this.

Everyone needs to find what works for them. Medisfast is the only thing that has ever worked for me. I lost 40 lbs and kept it off for almost a year. I am back on it to lose another 15-20. I think there is alot of variety in the food choices, they are easy to carry and prepare and very convenient which was key to me. It is a program that requires you be on it, or off it. There is no half a** for results. This is because it is based on getting into a mild state of ketosis (think adkins) so, if you are not on, you dont get into that state. But, unlike adkins, it is mild, and there is a real focus on transition back to "real food." So, it is about changing your relationship with food. If we could all eat whatever we wanted and whatever tastes good we wouldnt have to worry about it and wouldnt be here. anyway, I have learned alot about eating clean and good choices, not just calorie counting. Anyway, count me among the advocates. (And FWIW, I order mostly off ebay or direct, and do not use a coach).

LAWYERMOM3000

.... And the program didn't teach me what healthy eating was, so as soon as I stopped I gained everything back.

.... Reaching for some prepackaged dog food is not going to teach you how to be healthier. It's going to teach you to grab something easy. ..

And I disagree with either of these statements. Im wondering if you followed the transition program?Transition guides you through leaning to eat without the MF food, and to identify trigger foods - like bread, or sweets or sodium.

Im not saying its for everyone, just suggesting that the OP research it with an open mind. Its about increasing protein (and other vitamins), reducing carbs, and learning to eat small meals throughout the day instead of big meals. Its also about learning to use food as fuel, not as comfort, or a friend, or stress relief. All of these are concepts that should be carried forward even after you are off the plan.

sheismith

I lost my first 25 pounds in one month on Medifast. It's not for everyone. I also don't think I could do it for more than a month. It was exactly what I needed at the time to give myself a boost when I started on this journey. What I liked about it was showing me that I could stay focused and commited.

redreed

I started Medifast 2 weeks ago and lost 10lbs so far. It's not for everyone, and does take a certain mindset to do, but for me it's been the easiest "diet" I've ever done. I have moderate ADHD and future planning is totally not my strong suit. I'm always late and I'm always in a rush and being able to grab a bar or shake is the answer to a prayer. The food's not bad (and I'm picky), and there are about 70 different types of things to choose from. The first week was tough, but I tried other types of bars and shakes (and pancakes) and after the first week, it started to taste pretty good, especially the brownies.

And on the plus side, I've never had so much focused energy. It's pretty neat.

javaher

I started Medifast about 4 weeks ago and have lost 11lbs and a few inches so far. I’m a slow loser in general as most of my weight is located in the lower parts of my body. But, so far it seems to work fine. The most important thing is that medifast helped me to get off sugar. I had a sweet tooth and had to add sugar to almost everything. Now teas and other food taste sweet to me without even the added sugar. I’m also drinking a lot more water. My plan is to stick with it until I reach my goal of 119lbs, (I'm short, 5 feet and nothing). Then, I’ll just continue with healthy eating and exercise.

Juliey10013

Hi there,

Today is my first day on this site, as well as starting my Medifast diet. I've done it once before in the past pre-pregnancy and had such success and have now started it again today post-pregnancy. The one thing I found when I previously did the diet, I got a little bored with the same things day after day, there are a few websites that have a variety of recipes that you can come up with muffins, souffles, etc which really helped me get over the hurdle of bordom. If you would like for me to send it to you, send me your e-mail and I'll send you my file over. I have to dust it off a bit but if I remember correctly, I had a bunch of notes on whether or not I loved them.

Good luck to you and your success!

Take care, Julie

Juliey10013

I have to agree with LawyerMom3000 as well. I did the program in 2009 and lost 27 lbs and kept it off because I followed the maintenance plan. With any diet out there, you have to properly transition yourself back onto regular food and how you manage and prepare food from the store. I've known many people who didn't transition, went cold turkey and gained all of the weight back and others who followed it all the way through and still to this day look awesome!

Good luck!