Medifast
Replies
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Yes and perhaps it will be better for you, but here is the listing of side effects I experienced...
1. Loss of hair (way more than usual in the shower)
2. What everone on the Internet refers to as Medifarts - gas and very painful to the point i would be kept up at night from stomach pain
3. Chronic obsession with thinking about my next meal - b/c I was starving! I think I was on summing around 800 -1000 cals per day. I've never obsessed about food that way before.
4. The scariest, I began having cognitive issues. I could not think of the simplest of words. I graduated college magna cum lauda, if that tells you how severe and scary that issue was for me. My work was greatly affected for about 2 weeks, and I quit using it about 4 days after this began. Anything that causes your brain to shut down is not healthy, not in my book.
So, again, can't say you will experience any of this (and there were other effects) but I will never do it again. Nor any severe calorie restriction plan, for that matter. Also, I only lost about 10 pounds in an 8 week timeframe. I've lost 9 and many more inches since joining MFP 30 days ago. The worse part, I am still having to fit in those disgusting meal bars and such into my diet, as I can't bring myself to throw away over $300.00 in "food" away.
Btw, constipation is an issue everyone on it has reported, I am still not back to normal.
Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions about the plan. I will be honest about it and if you still want to try it, I'll sell you what I have left at half price:)0 -
I tried it and I have had a good experience. I have lost 20 lbs during the march and april. I have not really been on the plan 100% during may, but I did not gain the weight back. I have 20 more lbs I want to lose and I really like doing medifast and will be trying it for another month. When I am out on the go medifast is great and I usually like to have the medifast bars or pretzels. If I am home, then I will make the chili or the shakes, or the oatmeal. I found it satisfying enough because I got to eat every 2 or 3 hours. I think the key was drinking alot of water. There are a few foods I don’t really care for, but you can’t really go off what other people say because I actually love the oatmeal, and I was scared to try it because of what I heard. I started doing low carb (sorta atkins phase 1) before I started medifast so I once I got to eat a variety of foods it was a treat for me!
I want to add that I was doing alot of walking daily (I was in school) and that kept me active. They don’t recommend exercise to start, but if you atleast walk that will be a great benefit.
If you find that 5 medifast meals do not satisfy you- have a 6th one. also you have lean and green meal so your eating 6 times a day. your body will adjust to it. If you are not active, you will think about food more. Get social, and get moving and this program will really help you along!
Its expensive to me because I never shop $250 worth of food at once, but keep in mind that is for a whole months worth of food.
the first 2 months they send you like 28 free meals for orders of $250 so take advantage of that if you can!
love the bars, pretzels (cinnamon & honey), chili, shakes, soft serve, oatmeal, i love cappuccino-actually i make it and use it as my creamer for my coffee!
(don’t care for: pizza bites (not bad tasting but just not my fave to eat), tomato soup, (too watery), chai latte- NOT.
i haven’t tried everything either but for eggs I don’t get the medifast eggs cuz i rather just cook them as my lean and green and use whole eggs or egg whites.
I hope this helps a lil bit and good luck!0 -
ANY plan will work when one follows it. It's sustaining that plan for LIFE that's the issue, which is why 90% of all dieters regain a significant amount of what they lost.Has anyone tried the MediFast plan? I've been hearing and reading good things about it.
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I have not tried it but my Mother-In-Law did. She stuck to the plan and did lose weight. But after being on that plan she had lost half of her hair. It's been over 10 years and her hair hasn't come back and she put 3 times the weight back on.0
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I have not tried it but my Mother-In-Law did. She stuck to the plan and did lose weight. But after being on that plan she had lost half of her hair. It's been over 10 years and her hair hasn't come back and she put 3 times the weight back on.
Yea, I had read some reviews (while trying to figure out why my hair was coming out that way it was) about people this had happened to. With the other signs of distress my body was giving me, I decided it was not worth it. I just hope I didn't mess anything up permanently by trying a quick fix. Pretty disappointing considering it was the first time I had ever tried a meal plan like that, but told me what I already knew - all things in moderation and daily exercise.0 -
I did it! I loved it! I lost 75lbs and have kept it off for a year and a half. I learned healthy habits while using the Medifast food. Thats what determines long term success. I still have a full head of hair LOL! In fact, it's healthier than ever and so is my skin. Hair loss is common with rapid weight loss in general. I took a Biotin supplement form a health food store as a precaution. I know a gazillion people who did the plan and their hair is fine. It's not a quick fix if you do not look at it as one. Sure, the food works. It USUALLY works quickly BUT you'll gain it all back quickly too unless you do the internal work that it takes to REALLY transform. I have no desire to go back to eating the way I did before BUT it;s certianly not because I ate some meal replacements for a short time. The meal replacements took the burden of weight loss off of me. I had truly struggled. I was insulin resistant and hypothyroid. Balancing my blood sugars (which is what the medifast meal plan is all about) was magical for me. I manage my insulin with food now instead of Metformin. Yes, I learned all the things I already know. What I needed was a structure to learn it from (curriculum) and TONS of support.
Hope this helps
Jennifer0 -
my mother did it, and she did lose about 85 pounds doing it, but it is very expensive and hard to maintain,becasue the food tastes just awful.
My mother had a lot to lose, so at the time it worked great, but after she stopped (because it got so expensive) she couldnt really keep it off.0 -
I did this plan for a while with sucess and with a full head of hair. I did not like a lot of the foods so I ended up purchasing the same foods (the one's i liked) over and over again. I quit the program when the cost of items as well as the shipping cost rose.
The program works but in order to maintain your loss when you go from 5 & 1 to 3 & 2 you have to learn/adjust along the way. You have to learn to make healthier food choices (your lean & green meals) and exercise. It has to be a lifestyle change....not a diet.
I found the program to be great for those of us that have a busy schedule or are constantly on the go. If the program wasn't expensive I would have continued, but thanks to it being expensive I've learned to prepare blanced meals well in advance for the week for my busy schedule.
Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Yes and perhaps it will be better for you, but here is the listing of side effects I experienced...
1. Loss of hair (way more than usual in the shower)
2. What everone on the Internet refers to as Medifarts - gas and very painful to the point i would be kept up at night from stomach pain
3. Chronic obsession with thinking about my next meal - b/c I was starving! I think I was on summing around 800 -1000 cals per day. I've never obsessed about food that way before.
4. The scariest, I began having cognitive issues. I could not think of the simplest of words. I graduated college magna cum lauda, if that tells you how severe and scary that issue was for me. My work was greatly affected for about 2 weeks, and I quit using it about 4 days after this began. Anything that causes your brain to shut down is not healthy, not in my book.
So, again, can't say you will experience any of this (and there were other effects) but I will never do it again. Nor any severe calorie restriction plan, for that matter. Also, I only lost about 10 pounds in an 8 week timeframe. I've lost 9 and many more inches since joining MFP 30 days ago. The worse part, I am still having to fit in those disgusting meal bars and such into my diet, as I can't bring myself to throw away over $300.00 in "food" away.
Btw, constipation is an issue everyone on it has reported, I am still not back to normal.
Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions about the plan. I will be honest about it and if you still want to try it, I'll sell you what I have left at half price:)
Whoa! Never experienced any of these side effects! When I first started, I noticed that I had to pee a lot (a lot!) and was very thirsty but that subsided in the first week. I was also spacey for a few days. Once I got through my first 7 days, I picked up a rhythm and it got easier (although never easy).
Medifast is hard because you can't eat anything but it's also easy because you can't eat anything. There are no choices to make. In the morning, I eat one meal, grab 3 more to eat during the day, and off I go until dinner. It's hard to be social at first but once you start losing weight and noticing it, it's worth it. I felt the same way when I did Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers.
Some of the food is gawd awful and some it actually tasty.0 -
HI Joy,
Thanks for the candid feedback on your experience. And you're not alone; I've heard similar from a few other people. It seems to be very black and white. Either you do very good and very bad...seems to be little middle ground. I'm thinking now more about using some of the "food" to add extra protein into my diet, as opposed to using it exclusively. My normal mantenance calorie intake is supposed to be about 2400/day but have put myself on a 1600/day limit, which is about a 33% drop. To cut that in half for Medifast...not sure that seems healthy for me.
Orion.0 -
I did this plan for a while with sucess and with a full head of hair. I did not like a lot of the foods so I ended up purchasing the same foods (the one's i liked) over and over again. I quit the program when the cost of items as well as the shipping cost rose.
The program works but in order to maintain your loss when you go from 5 & 1 to 3 & 2 you have to learn/adjust along the way. You have to learn to make healthier food choices (your lean & green meals) and exercise. It has to be a lifestyle change....not a diet.
I found the program to be great for those of us that have a busy schedule or are constantly on the go. If the program wasn't expensive I would have continued, but thanks to it being expensive I've learned to prepare blanced meals well in advance for the week for my busy schedule.
Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:
Seems like you were on the better end of the experience scale, which is good for you. I'm a firm believer, and have for as long as I can remember, that preparing and eating as close to the source as possible is always better. Being a single guy with a busy professional life, that has become difficult, thus my need to reduce my weight. Locally, there are some personal chefs that will prepare a weeks worth of frozen food, and its really quite good, but again the cost factor rolls in.
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I tried it and I have had a good experience. I have lost 20 lbs during the march and april. I have not really been on the plan 100% during may, but I did not gain the weight back. I have 20 more lbs I want to lose and I really like doing medifast and will be trying it for another month. When I am out on the go medifast is great and I usually like to have the medifast bars or pretzels. If I am home, then I will make the chili or the shakes, or the oatmeal. I found it satisfying enough because I got to eat every 2 or 3 hours. I think the key was drinking alot of water. There are a few foods I don’t really care for, but you can’t really go off what other people say because I actually love the oatmeal, and I was scared to try it because of what I heard. I started doing low carb (sorta atkins phase 1) before I started medifast so I once I got to eat a variety of foods it was a treat for me!
I want to add that I was doing alot of walking daily (I was in school) and that kept me active. They don’t recommend exercise to start, but if you atleast walk that will be a great benefit.
If you find that 5 medifast meals do not satisfy you- have a 6th one. also you have lean and green meal so your eating 6 times a day. your body will adjust to it. If you are not active, you will think about food more. Get social, and get moving and this program will really help you along!
Its expensive to me because I never shop $250 worth of food at once, but keep in mind that is for a whole months worth of food.
the first 2 months they send you like 28 free meals for orders of $250 so take advantage of that if you can!
love the bars, pretzels (cinnamon & honey), chili, shakes, soft serve, oatmeal, i love cappuccino-actually i make it and use it as my creamer for my coffee!
(don’t care for: pizza bites (not bad tasting but just not my fave to eat), tomato soup, (too watery), chai latte- NOT.
i haven’t tried everything either but for eggs I don’t get the medifast eggs cuz i rather just cook them as my lean and green and use whole eggs or egg whites.
I hope this helps a lil bit and good luck!
Hi Tarisa,
Great detailed feedback. 'Preciate it. Sounds like you've adapted and found a way that works for you. Thats key, not just for Medifast but for things in life, in general. I think I may order individual items to check'em out and see how my body reacts, as well as my taste buds.
Nice work on your profile goals, by the way.
O.0 -
Hair loss and sagging skin and major irritability. I learned my lesson--food has to taste good and be real, or I am wasting my money.0
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Hair loss and sagging skin and major irritability. I learned my lesson--food has to taste good and be real, or I am wasting my money.
Agree. This is my first time of losing weight via caloric method. Historically, I've been very active outdoors (sea kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, etc) and so have not had the need to monitor calories very closely. The last 18 months or so I havent been able to hit the outdoors as usual. I've also found that taste of what I eat is a key element to staying motivated to keep my calories so low.0 -
HI Joy,
Thanks for the candid feedback on your experience. And you're not alone; I've heard similar from a few other people. It seems to be very black and white. Either you do very good and very bad...seems to be little middle ground. I'm thinking now more about using some of the "food" to add extra protein into my diet, as opposed to using it exclusively. My normal mantenance calorie intake is supposed to be about 2400/day but have put myself on a 1600/day limit, which is about a 33% drop. To cut that in half for Medifast...not sure that seems healthy for me.
Orion.
Hi Orion,
Here is a link with a "Roadmap" process that I have begun following as of last week. I not only feel more satisfied with my daily calorie intake (and should as I consume up to 2027 per day!) but I have noticed a huge increase in performance in my workouts. Just make sure to read it carefully and follow all calculations to the T. Good luck, and you may find that you enjoy the addition of the medifast meals or you might find you don't. It is all relevant to the individual's tastes and reactions. I can say that was a scary experience for me, however.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-120 -
It sounds like the original poster already made his decision, but just for other people that may read this thread, I wanted to post why I am doing Medifast, and 4.5 weeks in, it is working for me. I don't think it is right for everyone at all times though.
I first lost over 50 pounds when I was around 16. I just started exercising. Previously I had been sedentary. No diet changes. being a teenager is great. This was around 2000 or 2001.
The second time I lost over 50 pounds was in the fall and winter of 2011 and spring of 2012. Only starting in 2010 and lasting to October 2011 I went from 175 to 232. This was just due to life changes - new long term relationship and new job. From October 2011 to April 2012 I worked out 3 times per week in the gym and did rather light cardio 2 times per week. I ate 2,300 calories on weight training days and 2000 on non-weight training days. I got back down to 175.
This second diet I did really everything right the way people say to lose weight, moderate diet changes and moderate exercise changes. Lose slowly and make these life changes and you are more likely to keep it off, right?
Well guess what, I didn't stick to it (totally my fault) and by April 2013 I had gained it ALL back, and more, I was at 236.
I started Medifast on May 6 - and I do think it is a rather extreme diet, But I just didn't have the mental strength to do what I did just a year before over again. I had been trying for months to go back on my moderate diet (2300 cal/2000 cal) and moderate exercise but I ust couldn't make myself so it again.
For some reason I have been able to do Medifast even though it seems like it would be harder to do. I do have a great coach who introduced me to it. I know the diet breaks some of the fundamental MFP rules, but what was a supposed to do? Just keep gaining weight?
Medifast was just right for me this time.0 -
I'm sorry for the folks who are experiencing such bad side effects! I've been on Medifast since April1 - had a great April and lost 18 lbs., only lost 6 pounds in May due to a beer here, a snack there, a little sneak of chocolate, etc. But I'm definitely not unhappy with a 6 lb. loss, and am back in full motivated mode for June.
My energy level is good and I definitely haven't lost any hair - I'd stop the very instant I realized I was! Yikes! The aspect I like is that I've learned I truly can be satisfied with small, frequent amounts of food. It's been an excellent training program for me to learn to eat and crave less food, because I tend to binge when I'm emotional. Also, eating multiple small meals works for me because that is my natural hunger cycle. For those who do best on three meals per day, it's probably not the plan for you.0 -
My husband and I both did the Medifast plan last year. We stayed on it for 8 months and it worked, but much more slowly after the first quarter, while we were on it. I never cheated and lost 49 1/2 pounds in the first 6 months (damn last half a pound!). The major problem for me not finding this program sustainable is that my prepackaged food choices were SO limited. There is not that much variety to begin with, but throw in my counselor limiting me to only liquid choices (drinks and soups), my lactose intolerance and my dislikes, and well...I pretty much drank the same tired meals each day and got frustrated and bored with two raspberry teas, two peach teas and one broth based soup every single day. My husband had more choices, but still, he got bored as well. Also, we were quite disappointed with how fast the weight comes back--we gained it ALL back within 7 weeks; it seemed dangerous to us.
I sincerely believe if you are able to lose all of the weight you want within 6 months, you can do well on the Medifast program. However, if you are looking for a more long-term plan, you may consider a life style change as opposed to a diet plan.0 -
My roommate tried Medifast. She came out of the bathroom really pale one day and holding a plunger. The constipation was so bad that it tore her up upon exit, and then clogged the toilet as well.0
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It no doubt works for some. It was designed by doctors to help those who were extremely overweight. It also requires a lot of discipline when reintroducing real food in the maintanence phase. However, it will wreck your metabolism. The average day on the diet for me = 700 -800 cals. Yes I was hungry at first. Yes I drank a ton of water and had to use the bathroom a lot. No I did not loose hair. BUT, after loosing what I wanted and moving on to maintenance the weight started to come back on because I wanted to have that ice cream once in a while. I definately had enough of no beer or wine on occasion. When you go back to "normal" social activities I had to be a saint to keep the weight off (at least it was this way for me). Not practical. It has also taken quite a while (over 2 years) for me to get my metabolism back on track. Not worth the subpar food choices and side effects in my opinion.0
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HI Joy,
Thanks for the candid feedback on your experience. And you're not alone; I've heard similar from a few other people. It seems to be very black and white. Either you do very good and very bad...seems to be little middle ground. I'm thinking now more about using some of the "food" to add extra protein into my diet, as opposed to using it exclusively. My normal mantenance calorie intake is supposed to be about 2400/day but have put myself on a 1600/day limit, which is about a 33% drop. To cut that in half for Medifast...not sure that seems healthy for me.
Orion.
Hi Orion,
Here is a link with a "Roadmap" process that I have begun following as of last week. I not only feel more satisfied with my daily calorie intake (and should as I consume up to 2027 per day!) but I have noticed a huge increase in performance in my workouts. Just make sure to read it carefully and follow all calculations to the T. Good luck, and you may find that you enjoy the addition of the medifast meals or you might find you don't. It is all relevant to the individual's tastes and reactions. I can say that was a scary experience for me, however.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
Excellent. Thanks, Joy. I'll take a good look at it. And I agree on the Medifast; its a hit or miss proposition. I'll probably order some bars and see what shakes out.0 -
My husband and I both did the Medifast plan last year. We stayed on it for 8 months and it worked, but much more slowly after the first quarter, while we were on it. I never cheated and lost 49 1/2 pounds in the first 6 months (damn last half a pound!). The major problem for me not finding this program sustainable is that my prepackaged food choices were SO limited. There is not that much variety to begin with, but throw in my counselor limiting me to only liquid choices (drinks and soups), my lactose intolerance and my dislikes, and well...I pretty much drank the same tired meals each day and got frustrated and bored with two raspberry teas, two peach teas and one broth based soup every single day. My husband had more choices, but still, he got bored as well. Also, we were quite disappointed with how fast the weight comes back--we gained it ALL back within 7 weeks; it seemed dangerous to us.
I sincerely believe if you are able to lose all of the weight you want within 6 months, you can do well on the Medifast program. However, if you are looking for a more long-term plan, you may consider a life style change as opposed to a diet plan.
The body has a set point when it comes to weight, and though it can change, it doesnt always do so quickly, or persist. Thats one thing I was thinking about with plans that drop weight quickly....will this set point adjust and fix, or will it not. The body, if it thinks its in a lack of food domain, will not lower this set point, which means that as soon as more cal's are available, the weight goes back to the original set point.0
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