Medifast?

ajewellmom

Is there a difference between Medifast and Optifast? I had considered WLS until I discovered I would need to do 8 - 12 weeks of Optifast (900 calories of liquid per day) and then would need to eat a restrictive diet the rest of my life or I would be subject to dumping and all sorts of other ailments. Realized then that I needed to just eat better and smaller amounts and start moving my body. It may be slow going (50 pounds in 6 months so far), but I believe in slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck to you if you should choose to do this. Sounds pretty horrific (not to mention BORING) to me!

JBankey

It is working great for me. I lost about 50 pounds (gained 10 back over 6 months) the traditional way on here, but was stuck with about 45 to go. I could not break through and I was becoming undisciplined. Well Medifast has given me the discipline and I have broke through my plateau and am now the lightest I have been in 12 years. I have lost 16 pounds in three weeks and am learning portion control and the importance of balancing carbs and protein. I have had zero side effects and no hunger. It has been great

Wetcoaster

I tried losing weight for years by eating only whole, clean, organic foods. I obsessed over portions and calories. I spent hundreds of dollars counting points and attending WW sessions for years, only to end in tears every week of the program. I exercised 5 days a week. I took vitamins and drank water. I became a vegetarian for awhile, then a vegan. But I never lost weight. In fact I gained! Medifast was literally the only thing that caused me to lose weight. I was convinced that I was a hopeless case, that I had some sort of medical defect that I couldn't lose it. Until Medifast. Don't listen to all those people who think they know how to lose weight. Personal trainers, health gurus, even nutritionist all had me down on myself. My advice - if you find something that works, stick with it.

It's magic! Uh huh.

AJisCommittedtoSuccess

I am just speaking for myself here, but Medifast was the only way I could drop pounds, don't know if it's the higher protein. lower carb or the nutitritional makeup of the food, but it works for me. Yes its expensive, thus trying a modified version of the plan and why I am asking questions of other MF users. Please don't discourage people from doing what works for them. I've seen people drop weight with various means and all have a fight to keep it off after losing. Thats what Fitness Pal is for, to motivate and inspire people to keep on the track-dont be judgmental, what works for one person may not work for another and viceversa.

I agree. This isn't a place to criticize others for doing what works for them. Please stay positive.

Anytime someone reverts to old eating habits, the weight will come back. It doesn't matter what "diet" they were following. You can't really make that something exclusive to VLC diets.

As far as being tired all the time because Medifast is VLC, I cannot agree. After the first few days of adjustment, I have had more energy than ever. I am not hungry all the time because I eat every 2 - 3 hours. If you are trying Medifast and are experiencing those or similar problems, sign up for Take Shape for Life and get yourself a coach. Their knowledge and support are more valuable than you'd ever expect.

ndj1979

just figure out what a 500 calorie deficit is and eat that number..

why pay someone to create a deficit for you, when you can do it for free...

eat less + work out more = lose weight...

but if you still want to buy something I have my "ninja weight loss system" that is clinically proven to lose weight in three months or money back....

ndj1979

I am just speaking for myself here, but Medifast was the only way I could drop pounds, don't know if it's the higher protein. lower carb or the nutitritional makeup of the food, but it works for me. Yes its expensive, thus trying a modified version of the plan and why I am asking questions of other MF users. Please don't discourage people from doing what works for them. I've seen people drop weight with various means and all have a fight to keep it off after losing. Thats what Fitness Pal is for, to motivate and inspire people to keep on the track-dont be judgmental, what works for one person may not work for another and viceversa.

I agree. This isn't a place to criticize others for doing what works for them. Please stay positive.

Anytime someone reverts to old eating habits, the weight will come back. It doesn't matter what "diet" they were following. You can't really make that something exclusive to VLC diets.

As far as being tired all the time because Medifast is VLC, I cannot agree. After the first few days of adjustment, I have had more energy than ever. I am not hungry all the time because I eat every 2 - 3 hours. If you are trying Medifast and are experiencing those or similar problems, sign up for Take Shape for Life and get yourself a coach. Their knowledge and support are more valuable than you'd ever expect.

so when someone says they are going go waste money on starving themselves we should just sit here and nod our heads and say "go for it, good luck to you!!!" even though most of us know it will end in massive failure or gaining weight back....

sorry that is not how it works...

AJisCommittedtoSuccess

"eat less + work out more = lose weight..."
That statement isn't always the answer. Portion control DOES make a difference, but simply eating less food doesn't always work. There are many reasons, most of them medical. It's a rather arrogant position to take that your approach is THE right one for EVERYONE.

It worked for me before and I kept it off for several years - until we chose to have our third child. If it is done right, it works. You apparently have a product to sell. Do your sales increase when you criticize people for using other programs and call those proven programs massive failures?

MCLA4mom

It worked for me. I lost 75lbs on and have kept it off for almost two years. I'm sorry but I do not look at that as a massive failure in any way. In fact, aside from giving birth and running marathons I consider it to be one of the most physically amazing things that I have done. I also no longer suffer from insulin resistance. My doctor (endocrinologist) introduced me to the program because it was great training on how to manage my blood sugars without medication. It completely changed my relationship with food. I am sooooooo much healthier. I am hypothyroid and the calories in calories out "just stop eating so much" thing wasn't helpful at all. I needed to learn to eat protein carb balanced meals 6 times a day. I paid money to learn to do that (I had tried EVERYTHING). It was worth every penny for me. ONE WARNING! If you treat it like a diet, you will gain all of your weight back. If you treat it like a program.youll learn how to keep it off.
I wasn't starving. The food has all of the nutrients you need. I had never "resorted" to meal replacements until I did this. I thought they were just for lazy people that didn't want to work for it. In the end, the meal replacements took the burden and guess work out of weight loss off of me so I could do the internal work and learn what part I played in getting fat in the first place.
Just thought you might want to hear from the perspective of someone who has actually experienced it.

ndj1979

"eat less + work out more = lose weight..."
That statement isn't always the answer. Portion control DOES make a difference, but simply eating less food doesn't always work. There are many reasons, most of them medical. It's a rather arrogant position to take that your approach is THE right one for EVERYONE.

It worked for me before and I kept it off for several years - until we chose to have our third child. If it is done right, it works. You apparently have a product to sell. Do your sales increase when you criticize people for using other programs and call those proven programs massive failures?

I am not selling anything...

OK - find me a person that eats MORE than they take in, does zero exercise, and has lost weight....

AJisCommittedtoSuccess

Then I really didn't get your sarcasm.
My point was that simply eating less and working out more doesn't work for everyone.
*I wasn't saying that the opposite of your statement is true at all.* So your sarcasm there is also lost on me.
Many people cannot eat gluten, dairy, corn, etc. Simply eating less will not help those people if they aren't cutting the right foods. There are other medical reasons why simply eating less doesn't always work.

michellechawner

$339 a month? You're sh!tting me, right?

I eat right, check in with the doctors, and do light exercise only right now. I'm losing it slowly, but i'm still losing it.

Yes getting older is harder and so you may not lose it as quickly, but I bet you can still find people on here who have, without the crazy "diets" and "magic food".

This is just like Herbalife, once you go off their products you gain all the weight back. I've had a ton of friends waste their money on that too. Some people just like the taste, so that's fine, but I threw up my first two shakes so that was a waste of time and money.

Find what works for you - if it works, great. It does not work for the majority. Most of these diets don't.

yarwell

Find what works for you - if it works, great. It does not work for the majority. Most of these diets don't.

Including the "eat less and move more" prescription.

ndj1979

Then I really didn't get your sarcasm.
My point was that simply eating less and working out more doesn't work for everyone.
*I wasn't saying that the opposite of your statement is true at all.* So your sarcasm there is also lost on me.
Many people cannot eat gluten, dairy, corn, etc. Simply eating less will not help those people if they aren't cutting the right foods. There are other medical reasons why simply eating less doesn't always work.

you said eat less does not work for everyone...OK, find me the person that eats more and loses weight then...Obviously if eat less does not always work then there is someone that eats more then they take in and still loses weight, right?

msjames1999

Absolutely everyone that I know who have loss weight using Medifast has gained it all back plus some!

ScouseNerd

Is there a difference between Medifast and Optifast? I had considered WLS until I discovered I would need to do 8 - 12 weeks of Optifast (900 calories of liquid per day) and then would need to eat a restrictive diet the rest of my life or I would be subject to dumping and all sorts of other ailments. Realized then that I needed to just eat better and smaller amounts and start moving my body. It may be slow going (50 pounds in 6 months so far), but I believe in slow and steady wins the race.

Good luck to you if you should choose to do this. Sounds pretty horrific (not to mention BORING) to me!

8-12 weeks?? How??

My mum got a lap band and had to Optifast for only two. Lost 15lbs in two weeks. Of course she was miserable and couldn't have so much as tea.

AJisCommittedtoSuccess

I said that JUST eating less doesn't work for everyone. There's more to it than cutting calories. OF COURSE you don't eat more and lose weight. You apparently aren't really reading what I've said very thoroughly.

I don't spend $339/month on Medifast. I agree that would be ridiculous. I'm not sure where that figure came from.

The fact that everyone you know has gained all of their weight back isn't very scientific and I have to wonder how many people you know who have tried it, done it correctly, stuck with it through transition and maintenance and still gained all of their weight back.

AJisCommittedtoSuccess

Medifast is not the same as Slimfast - someone equated the two earlier.

SteelySunshine

Funny how the original poster vanished and deactivated. But, for prosperity i.e. those that read this topic after it gets bumped a dozen or so times.

Medifast is a scam. The OP proved it to me when saying s/he has 60 pounds to lose. No real medical doctor would advice a VLC diet for someone with that little to lose. /thread.

krazyforyou

Gross, gross, gross. made then give my monry bsck

jellis1388

Im on Medifast.... its not a scam. It really works. And I have 75 pounds to lose. I am 40 pounds down and my doctor recommended it. ITS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE

gr8bigcfan

I have been on Medifast and have lost 25 pounds since June 1, 2013. Not exactly a quick fix. I have had some real challenges lately, with a lot of work travel. All last week I was in a hotel room with a fridge but no microwave. Was so glad I brought my mini-blender to make my "frappuccinos" with the soft serve ice cream in the morning, and my nightly treat of a medifast soft serve ice cream. I used 1/4 a packet of the vanilla pudding, watered down as my 'milk' for my cereal. I could not make the oatmeal or the soup work with the water from the coffee maker, just not hot enough. A hotel room with a microwave would have been a game changer. I brought the orange drink and the pretzels for my on the go snacks. The other crunchy snacks are just too smelly to snack on in an airport. I don't like to eat the bars when I'm doing airport travel, because they give me very bad gas.

Only went off plan a little, with three beers at different social events. My lean and green meals were torturous, because I had to eat what I needed to eat, and not what I wanted to eat. Everyone around me seemed to be shoving breadsticks and french fries into their faces. I had a handful of tortilla chips and a couple of pieces of pita bread, but pretty much stuck to plan otherwise. I was dreading the scale on my arrival home on Friday night, and it was indeed up by 3 pounds. By the next morning though, I am happy to report that I lost .5 pounds, even with those off plan incidents and never ate more than 1400 calories a day. My official weigh in is Monday, and I think I'll be able to report that I still lost over a pound, which is great in a week when I planned to lose nothing. I have a lot of these weeks coming up, and I know now that I'll be having diet coke instead of beer at social hours.

I thought being on the road with Medifast would be the deal breaker. It turns out that, for me, it was a lot easier than trying to not go over 1400 calories a day on three restaurant meals a day.

brigidpaige

People seem misinformed about two things regarding Medifast:

It is NOT a very low calorie diet. it is around 1100 calories, with plenty of protein and fiber and nearly 100 g carbs.

It isn't as expensive as it seems either. Of course buying a months' worth of food at a time involves some sticker shock but 12 dollars a day isn't a lot for food....that and a salad with chicken on it is probably what, fifteen dollars total? That's less than one meal out at a sit down place or a couple of fast food meals.

AbsoluteNG

I find this thread interesting because people are so critical of others who only eat 1200 calories and the feared mythical creature, starvation mode, but they are accepting of a very low calorie diet program like Medifast. They are even so critical to demonize one's doctor when said doctor suggests very low calories. You're eating around 800 to 1000 calories a day on a Medifast program for those who don't know.


Edit No exercise calories are eaten back on Medifast programs.


.

sorcha1977

Not all Medifast plans are 1000-1200 calories. My friend is on one that is 1400-1600 calories per day, and the plan advises you to not exercise too hard, as it will put you under calories. They recommend walking 30 minutes per day once you're used to the plan (they say to give it 2-3 weeks). They further advise that if you DO want to exercise harder, like swimming or running, you should eat another snack or some lean protein to make up for it.

Don't make assumptions. This is really good for people who are bad at weighing/measuring and have an easier time having it laid out for them. It's also good if you don't have much time to cook. It's no different from reheating a Lean Cuisine. Additionally, the cost is around the same as a month's worth of groceries. So, really, I don't see the down side. My friend is healthy (and yes, that's according to her doctor and recent blood tests), and she's lost 123 pounds in just over a year. I'm very, very happy for her.

amandatapar

I've never used medifast but I've lost 52 pounds since the end of march of this yr and have 32 more pounds to go. I've lost steadily but I've eaten in a way that I'm not starving and that I can maintain after I get to my goal weight. In my personal opinion the chances of gaining weight back is high if you don't find a way to eat healthy and keep it off that way. I exercise 3-5 days a week too.

bybyadipocytes

Medifast is a wonderful program. I have used it to lose the last 15 that just stuck to me after pregnancy. I lost 30 lbs the old fashioned way and the rest with medifst.
It has given me the leanest body I have ever had and taken away my insane cravings for sugar/bread/carbs in general. I think this program is good for those of us who overdo it on carbs because it kind of breaks the cycle and removes you from over indulging but you still get to have a reasonable amount of carbs. To keep the weight off I just keep my carbs at 100-120 grams and voila ( more if I am exercising) easy peasy maintenance.
I would recommend this product for people trying to lose the last bit. It is nearly always marketed to people who have a lot of weight to lose but it also works extremely well for the last few imo.
given the cost is for a month it is not more expensive, and the lean and green always has my fam eating healthy too.

DavidC1857

I did Medifast. I lost 128 pounds in about 9 months. Faster than most people can expect, but I had a lot to lose and I'm a guy, so it's easier.

I did not feel tired, nor did I lack energy. If anything I had more energy. The only negative symptom I saw was that the last month or two I felt cold. I assume my metabolism slowed some.

I did a proper transition and have been in maintenance since February. So far, I have not gained weight back. I am trying to lose a few more pounds the old fashioned way.

To all those who have said that most people who do Medifast will gain the weight back, yes, that is true. But then, most people who do ANY diet (including calorie counting ie. MFP) will gain the weight back. If you don't change what you were doing before, you will gain the weight the same way you gained it before.

I'm sure I could have just done MFP and lost weight. The thing I liked most about MF was the convenience. I did not have to plan meals, trying to figure out what had so many calories and what not. I did have to do that, eventually. But I did it in transition, after I had lost the weight and was in a much better mind set for doing so.

Medifast is a pretty extreme diet plan. That's why I did it. I needed something extreme. It has been well studied however and I have not seen any research suggesting it is unsafe. I would not recommend it for anyone who did not have a fairly significant amount of weight to lose.

trentwhatcott

"It is one thing to be self-taught and yet another to be self-certified." Forums are a horrible place to seek health advice. Most of these people do not know what they are talking about. Do the research. Find out what happens to the human body on a diet like Medifast and why it is actually healthier for the body than other diets for some people! Learn why stupid people go on a diet like this and then gain it all back. (Hint: They didn't learn anything and are destined to repeat their previous weight gain.) the responses to this post are ridiculous. Research Ketosis online and you will come across ACTUAL studies from people who are ACTUALLY qualified to speak on the subject and leave the self-certified forum trollers to their high sugar, low fat, exercise to lose weight "diets".

kimbelle_vie

bump

419er

Hey all,

I'll jump in here with my own experience - and I promise I *won't* disappear! Short version: I lost 53 pounds just using MFP to track about a year ago - have been stuck for a while - trying MediFast/TSFL to kick-start the last 20-30.

Here's my story. I'm 5'10" - I started at 220.7 and used ONLY MFP for most of 2012. I lost 53ish pounds and finished at 167.9 I think. (But granted that was an 'optimal time' weight-in, if you know what I mean). I also took up running during that time and ran my first Marathon in 2013.

Over the middle/end of 2013 I put about 15 of it back on. I've been successful at keeping in the 182 range for a while, but that is still considered overweight - and I know I still have weight to lose. We can argue about what a healthy weight is, but I figure I've got somewhere between 20-30 pounds of fat to lose.

One of my very best friends has been a "Take Shape for Life" Optimal Health Coach for a long time and has tons of clients. I'll be honest that I pooh-pooed this whole thing as "the latest fad diet" and preached the "I lost 50 pounds just using MFP" message as often as I could.

Anyway - to make this already too-long story slightly longer - here's what made me decide to try MediFast:

1) I have been unable to stay solid in MFP for more than a couple of weeks lately.
2) My "coach" and I have one mutual friend who lost 50lbs in the past 3-4 months on this thing and he looks awesome.
3) I have a trip to Hawaii coming up in 8 weeks and I'd like to look better with my shirt off
4) I want to PR in my marathon later this year, and that will be way easier if I'm in the low teens for BF% than the mid 20s.
5) I had the $ to give this a try for at least a month.

All that being said - I'm 3 meals into my plan. For now it feels like my biggest challenge is going to be limiting caffeine to 300mg per day - but I started weaning myself off that a week ago.

More in a couple of days...