Has Anyone Ever Tried Medifast?

[mjaclyn]

DH's doctor recently told him to shed a few pounds in order to better control his blood pressure and blood sugar levels. He's not diabetic yet but I can definitely see it going in that direction if he doesn't do something about his weight. After looking into a bunch of different diet programs he decided to try Medifast for 1 month then move on to eating healthier, smaller portions and exercising regularly. Has anyone tried Medifast? What did you think of it? Did it work for you?

 

[cclovesdis]

I tried it for about a week. I was hungry a lot and gained weight-like 5-7 pounds. My PCP was not too happy and suggested Weight Watchers. I'm not sure why I wasn't at all successful. It could have been too restrictive for me. I had about 45 pounds to lose when I started. I don't know how much your DH has to lose, but honestly, I think part of the reason I gained weight was that I didn't have enough lose to follow the program. Hope that makes some sense. Like I said, I'm not sure why it didn't work for me. I am a firm believer in trying things, though, so if your husband thinks it's best for him, I say go for it. It may be what works for him! Best of luck!

 

[mjaclyn]

The thing with DH is that he is very busy with his job and travels a lot. That makes it very difficult to eat healthy - especially when on the road. Medifast was a good option for him because 5 meals a day can be a bar, shake, etc. Something quick that he can grab and go or take with him on business trips. The other meal is lean protein and lots of veggies but no carbs. That works out well for him at home and when he's on a trip he'll just order a salad with grilled chicken or something like that. He's only doing it for a month to see how it goes so I'll let you know at the end of it how much weight he's lost. So far, it's been 1 week and he's lost 6lbs. A couple of years ago he tried Weight Watchers and had similar results. It was harder for him to stick to that because it was time consuming to try and figure out point values and such.

 

[TandLMommy28]

My music pastor at church did Medifast and lost TONS of weight. But I have heard that the downfall is that as soon as you switch back to normal food, you gain it right back. I don't know from personal experience, I have only ever done WW.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Only just found this forum, but in case you're wondering: I am on Medifast, as is my husband; I'm down 39 lbs so far (with 80 lbs. to go) My husband is also on the plan, and he travels a lot and likes how easy it is to follow. I do actually know several people, some of whom gained some weight back through lifestyle choices, and some of whom have maintained their weight. Happy to answer any other questions if you like.

 

[DisnyMik]

My DH and I are currently on Medifast, however, with summer we have scaled back and havent't followed the plan as strictly as we should be. We started in March very strict! So far he has lost 60 lbs (his goal was 60-70 i think) and I have lost 37 (my goal is 50). We have lost a LOT of inches! We decided we were going to give it at least one month before throwing in the towel. The first few days were rough, I won't kid you. After that, it became second nature and we followed it to a tee. We went on a cruise for our anniversary and that is when we stopped being strict, then summer came with boating on the weekends, etc, etc. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) We do plan on going back strict after this goofing off stops!

We know quite a few people who have lost a lot of weight on Medifast and kept it off. Some of the people have gained some back but for the most part have kept it off. Our "coach" has lost 125 lbs and has kept it off for about 4 yrs. She does gain back a few lbs and then she will go back on the "5 & 1". We did WW quite a few years ago, kept it off about 2 yrs. and gained it all back plus some. We were going to do it again but just couldn't get ourselves motivated to do it. I really liked the fact that this came off faster b/c for us personally, we could see it and that motivates us! WW for us took much longer. People are amazed at how we look now. I am definitely not finished by any means. My husband went from 272 to 212. He looks fantastic! He would like to be @ 200 but he isn't trying real hard right now.

I won't sugar coat it and tell you it isn't hard b/c it is. I think a lot of our success is due to the fact that we both are doing it and we support each other. HUGE bonus! However, most of the people we know doing it are doing it on their own with success. I also won't tell you that keeping it off is not a concern for me! It is! A BIG concern. I am Hypothyroid so I have that working against me as well. Because we haven't been strict on it, I have to constantly battle to keep off the 37 lbs I have lost. So, after I lose the 50, I will have to really watch it because losing and keeping it off is such a struggle, partly due to my thyroid.

Making good choices and exercise is always the best way and that's what we have to do from now on to keep it off.

We feel great and we look great! I would definitely recommend it to anyone no matter how much weight you have to lose!

My DD-19, just found out about the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Feb. 2011 that she is begging me to do with her. I think this is the motivation I need to keep exercising and losing. We started our "training" this morning! We don't intend on breaking any records by any means, but we love Disney, (she thinks she's Ariel-an obsession since she was about 3, and she has long red hair and really does look like her) and this may be just the motivator we need to keep fit!

Hope this helps and I apologize for the lengthy post!