Has anyone tried Medifast?

mollycivinskas

I'm thinking of trying Medifast. A friend is doing it and has lost 50 lbs so far... and she hasn't even begun to exercise yet. I wanted to know, has anyone else tried it? If so, did it work for you? Did you work out? Did you get enough calories not to feel dizzy or get headaches post-workout? It' not exactly cheap, and I'd really like to know what I'm getting myself into before I make up my mind. Thanks.

campi_mama

Check out this blog:
http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/
Lynn is using Medifast right now and is very honest in her assessments. She's done different things over her weight loss journey, but I think this would help you make your decision...

LovelySpirit

:noway: I did Medifast twice... once in high school and once again about 10 yrs ago... :ohwell:

IT WORKS but you must comeup with an eating plan or you will gain it back, double!!! I got sick of the shakes and that's why I got off of it.

I did workout and walked on my non-workout days and lost about 45lbs before I dropped it. The weight will come off VERY FAST and you'll love it. However, the FIRST 3 DAYS... will be the hardest as your body adjusts to the change. I had a bad headache on day 2 and 3 and then it seemed all downhill from there.

If you want a Quick Weight Loss, you're ready to remain committed and you're confident temptation won't push you over the edge .. Go for it... but be careful w/ readjusting to eating... create a plan beforehand ~Lovely

mandygal13

My sister just did it. She's lost a lot of weight, but she worked out like crazy. I've lost 21 pounds in 45 days just keeping my food diary on here and exercising- she had lost about 40 at this point, but I'm eating more foods and enjoying it while she was VERY restricted.

I would say save your money, and just do what you know needs to be done - watch what you eat and exercise.

Bob141

I used medifast and went from 261 to 170 in 7 months without exercise. It is a very good plan. There is a forum and chatroom etc. on their website. The key advice is that you have to follow it and not go "off plan" you get to eat 6 times a day and will need to get a food scale. It's not cheap, but it replaces all but one of your meals. Let me know if you have any more questions.

shabydonner

I myself have not tried it but also had a friend that did. She lost some and at times I think really enjoyed it as she found a lot of recipes that she could use to make the food into fun treats like pancakes and I think she even made a cheese soup mix into a cheese cracker or something (she's a total salty chick so that was great for her). The problem is because every thing she ate pretty much came from them, the minute she went off of it (like you said, kind of expensive to do really long term) she gained it all back. That was at least 3 years ago and she is still fighting the same weight. I can't speak for working out because as far as I know she didn't do much of that, I would imagine that you could eat shortly before the work out to help reduce the risk though.

shonniegrl

Yes, I was told by my Dr. that I should try it back in Sept. of last year. I was at the end of my rope when it came to weight loss. The next step (if Medifast didn't work) for me was the lap band and I really didn't want to do that. I started Medifast in Oct. 2010 (right before all of the holidays) and by the end of February I lost 55 lbs. They do not recommend that you work out more than 45min. 3-4 times a week because you are on such a low calorie diet. Well, in March I started really working out and found that I have a love for it. But working out so much and being on a 900 calorie diet was causing me to go into starvation mode and I was no longer losing weight with Medifast. So I hired a nutritionist and decided to lose the rest by eating healthy and exercise. I joined MFP and have lost an additional 10 lbs. I still want to lose about 30 more lbs.

Medifast got me headed in the right direction. It was simple and took me off of the diet rollercoaster. It was the kick in the butt I needed and I really feel like it saved my life. Everything you eat on Medifast is scientifically designed so that you get all of the nutrients you need. But I will really stress that durning the time you are on Medifast, learn as much as you can about healthy food choices. I went (and still go) to a weekly nutrition group meeting that my Medical office offers for free. It is headed by my nutritionist and it is all about learning to eat right and making good choices.

MPF has helped me stay on track with healthy eating by keeping me accountable. Also, I love the inspiration and support I receive by the people here.

Good luck!

deewildwoman

I tried it, and it didn't work well for me. I was constantly hungry. They say that you are only hungry for the first 3 or 4 days, but I was on it for 2 months, and the hunger never went away. I did lose 15 pounds during that 2 months, but the moment I went off the product, I gained 20 back. While you will lose weight quickly, you have to take a lot of care when you come off the diet that you don't put the weight back on. I also think that the low calories (800-900/day) contributed to the difficulties that I have losing weight now. I had my metabolism checked and my RMR is on the low end of normal.

As for the exercise, I was advised NOT to exercise while on the diet. If you do exercise, I was told to wait until you are close to your goal weight and then start slowly. With the minimal amount of calories you get in a day, it would be too much for your body to exercise. I have talked to some people who did exercise, and they added another meal to their day to add back the calories.

P90XCertifiedCoach

My sister just did it. She's lost a lot of weight, but she worked out like crazy. I've lost 21 pounds in 45 days just keeping my food diary on here and exercising- she had lost about 40 at this point, but I'm eating more foods and enjoying it while she was VERY restricted.

I would say save your money, and just do what you know needs to be done - watch what you eat and exercise.

VERY PROUD OF YOU, AND ESPECIALLY FOR DOING THE DIET THE RIGHT WAY

twink44

I couldn't get past the taste. It tasted like chemicals to me. I went on the Smart for Life organic "cookie" diet and took off about 50 lbs. in 6 1/2 months and felt great the whole time without exercise. It came off in all the right places. The key was eating them every two to three hours and having a healthy and light dinner with one more at bedtime. I was never hungry or tired, just a little constipated the first two weeks. I think that eating regular food and logging in here combined with regular exercise is much smarter. It will take longer, but it is sustainable.

itsjoan

I have lost 50 pounds by counting calories and exercise before. Unfortunately, i gained back almost 20 pounds since December and I just wanted a kick start to get my mind focused on fighting for it for the long haul. I acquired a 4 week supply of medifast from a coworker who joined but hated hated hated the food. So, she passed it along to me to either try or toss in the trash. Did my research on line and thought "i've done stupider things" and decided to give it a whirl. The food is less than appealing. I can do the bars and shakes ok. The other stuff... not so much. I have been on it for 4 days and lost about 3 pounds. I've logged the food on the MFP and i've come around 800 calories and less than 60g of carbs usually. I am a marathoner that is going through a bout of plantar fasciitis so I haven't been able to run so I thought this was a good time to try it out. I do worry as i have several races coming up to how I will be able to survive the long runs and races. I am going to have to up my calorie intake a couple days before a race. Not sure how this is going to pan out but I rather be up a pound or 3 before a race than pass out at mile 7.

I can't say this is an ideal program. My other coworker calls it the lazy, non thinking man's way to weight loss. And it is 'easy' but there is nothing easy about restricting foods this way. But everyone is different and everyone will do what is right for them. I am going to see where the next week and a half takes me and go from there. I am modifying it a bit and replacing some foods here and there but the calories do still remain a bit low. I would love to be able to stick to counting calories like I used to but I can't seem to stay on track. So, here goes nothing....