Medifast - anyone tried it??

[shanasbananas]

Hey everyone - I'm contemplating taking the financial plunge of $300 per month and trying Medifast for weight loss. I've been struggling for what seems like my entire life with my weight and I need to change. But, I really need someone to tell me what to eat, when to eat it and oh - here it is, all packaged for you so you can't cheat and eat more than you're supposed to or mess up the recipe!!

Has anyone tried it or know anyone who has??

Thanks all!

 

[Inigo]

Hey everyone - I'm contemplating taking the financial plunge of $300 per month and trying Medifast for weight loss. I've been struggling for what seems like my entire life with my weight and I need to change. But, I really need someone to tell me what to eat, when to eat it and oh - here it is, all packaged for you so you can't cheat and eat more than you're supposed to or mess up the recipe!!

Has anyone tried it or know anyone who has??

Thanks all!

I had an English teacher who did the program back in 1979 or so. When the previous school year ended, she was heavy. When we got back to school that fall, she was slender, so in 12 weeks or so she went down probably 70 pounds at least.

 

[csharpwv]

shanasbananas, - My wife and I tried a similar program and we lost a TON of weight. 160+ pounds between the two of us. That was two years ago and.... well the weight was lost - and then found.

Diets like Medi-Fast work great - you WILL lose weight as long as you follow the diet - and do not deviate. However - keeping that weight off is another story. If you want to be on medi-fast for the rest of your life it will be a great diet/weight loss plan for you - however - if you would like to eat 'real' food again at some point - it may not work for you.

Here is the key to weight loss - believe it or not it's this simple - and if it were as easy in application as it is to say ... just how simple it is - I would be a millionaire.

Diet and Exercise - that is the key.

Having lost and re-gained 90 pounds myself on a similar diet - I can tell you - YES! It works - BUT It isn't much of along term weight management solution.

For some people (myself included), being overweight is just like having a drug or an alcohol problem. While the recognizable effects may not be as dramatic as drug or alcohol abuse - it is the same. I know that I have the ability to lose weight - when I watch what I eat - and exercise every day - I lose weigh. It's all about choices - and those choices are hard to get in the habit of making.

I have set a goal for myself to run in the Disney 1/2 marathon on January 2012 - a few weeks before I turn 30. I need to do it for myself - I'm tired of my weight preventing me from 'living' life.

I challenge you to pick up a 25lb bag of dog food, cat litter, or even two gallons of water - and carry it around for a day. 25lbs on the human body is no different.

Having weighed close to my ideal weight - and now being back where I started - I can feel my body asking me to lose weight - I'm tired - I'm sick more often - and I lack the motivation and energy I had. I miss "me".
"Me" is tired of carrying around more baggage in life that I need to - and all that baggage is under my skin.

I'm starting next week differently than I've started any 'diet' before. I'm not stating with changing my eating habits - I'm starting with exercise - I'm going to walk a few miles each evening - or morning - and I think the desire to 'see' change is going to put the desire to watch my eating habits in place.

We should start a thread and jump in this together!

 

[shanasbananas]

shanasbananas, - My wife and I tried a similar program and we lost a TON of weight. 160+ pounds between the two of us. That was two years ago and.... well the weight was lost - and then found.

Diets like Medi-Fast work great - you WILL lose weight as long as you follow the diet - and do not deviate. However - keeping that weight off is another story. If you want to be on medi-fast for the rest of your life it will be a great diet/weight loss plan for you - however - if you would like to eat 'real' food again at some point - it may not work for you.

Here is the key to weight loss - believe it or not it's this simple - and if it were as easy in application as it is to say ... just how simple it is - I would be a millionaire.

Diet and Exercise - that is the key.

Having lost and re-gained 90 pounds myself on a similar diet - I can tell you - YES! It works - BUT It isn't much of along term weight management solution.

For some people (myself included), being overweight is just like having a drug or an alcohol problem. While the recognizable effects may not be as dramatic as drug or alcohol abuse - it is the same. I know that I have the ability to lose weight - when I watch what I eat - and exercise every day - I lose weigh. It's all about choices - and those choices are hard to get in the habit of making.

I have set a goal for myself to run in the Disney 1/2 marathon on January 2012 - a few weeks before I turn 30. I need to do it for myself - I'm tired of my weight preventing me from 'living' life.

I challenge you to pick up a 25lb bag of dog food, cat litter, or even two gallons of water - and carry it around for a day. 25lbs on the human body is no different.

Having weighed close to my ideal weight - and now being back where I started - I can feel my body asking me to lose weight - I'm tired - I'm sick more often - and I lack the motivation and energy I had. I miss "me".
"Me" is tired of carrying around more baggage in life that I need to - and all that baggage is under my skin.

I'm starting next week differently than I've started any 'diet' before. I'm not stating with changing my eating habits - I'm starting with exercise - I'm going to walk a few miles each evening - or morning - and I think the desire to 'see' change is going to put the desire to watch my eating habits in place.

We should start a thread and jump in this together!

Wow! That's really great insight!

I'm tired of looking at the woman who ate "me"!!! I've always been heavy and I want to set a better example for my kids than I have been. I want them to know while it's great to be "them" they can still be a "healthy them"!

Good luck with the marathon. My DH and I walked the Komen Race for the Cure last month we both decided that next year we will run the 5k instead of walk it!

 

[jessicaerv]

I was on the plan a couple years ago. It worked great - I lost 30 pounds in 3 months. I would gag the first week or so when eating the food, but you get used to it very quickly and will get to know your favorites and buy only those.

It is VERY difficult to not cheat. I went 3 weeks before splurging just the littlest bit at dinner.

The ultimate reason I finally went off plan was because I got gallstones. I don't know if it was a result of the plan itself and the protein shakes, or because of the rapid weight loss. I had to have my gallbladder removed, and the diet was derailed. I've since gained it all back (plus a few more).

IMHO, this plan will work in the short term, but keeping the weight off is the bigger challenge. I say keep your money and just start incorporating exercise and eating smaller portions. Keep your sweet intake to a minimum and instead eat more fresh fruits. I'm sure if you are considering Medifast you've tried many diets, and you've heard it all before. Medifast is just a more drastic version of all the other diet programs out there.

Best of luck!!

 

[niccikatie]

A similar plan worked for my BIL. I think the hardest part, though, will be the maintenance once you lose the weight.

 

[j-me]

A bunch of friends have done it and kept it off... but they made a "LIFE CHANGE"..started eating better, excerise and enjoy their new sizes. It works..but you need to change your thinking and way of eating.
BEST OF LUCK!!

 

[badblackpug]

A bunch of friends have done it and kept it off... but they made a "LIFE CHANGE"..started eating better, excerise and enjoy their new sizes. It works..but you need to change your thinking and way of eating.
BEST OF LUCK!!

Yes. I know someone that lost 200lb on Medifast. I wholeheartedly agree with the lifestyle change.

 

[mum4jenn]

Isn't this what Oprah did way back?? She lots LOTS of weight but as soon as she ate regular food she was right back where she started.

 

[chabs]

I've been on Medifast off and on for over a year. It does work-I lost 60 lbs and then we went to Disney last August and I went off the diet. It was hard to get back on again. Gained 40 back and now I'm back on the diet and losing again. I didn't complete the end stage where you transfer back to real food, which was my mistake.

I think it's a great diet. I don't particularly like the shakes that much but they are drinkable and you really do get used to it in a very short time. I like the hot chocolate a lot and I like the bars because they're easy to take everywhere. They come out with new stuff all the time. The brownies are good and I've heard that the pancakes are good but I haven't tried them yet. Believe it or not, the meals are very filling and after the first week, you won't want to eat sugary food and if you do, you will feel sick. Your body adjusts very quickly and the results are fast so you stay motivated.

Another thing to know is to never order without a coupon code. There are always codes that you can find on the internet for either $25 off $150 or $50 off $275. I don't think that I spend any more than I would if I bought regular groceries because now I only buy chicken and veggies.

Sorry this is so long-if you want any more info or if you need help deciding what to order you can PM me.

 

[TinaMcTeer]

I have used Medifast. I lost 30 lbs that I was not able to lose any other way. You have to follow the plan to a T. They even have a maintanance plan to help wing you back onto regular food. If you follow the plan from beginning to end you should have no problem. I have only gained 3 lbs back.

 

[Michelle and crew]

There isn't anything to stop you from buying things that aren't on the diet, just as any other diet. Wouldn't it be better for you to just fill you freezer with portioned lean meat, and eat summer fresh veggies and fruits? This is the season to eat, imo.

eta: i have had to lose large amts. of weight after pregnancy.

 

[cheriemek]

Pixies that you find something to work for you. I lost 50 pounds on Atkins, but found it soon after. I am now on Weight Watcher. It's a pain that you have to count things, but at least if I really want something (like a baked potato!!!), I can have it. Good luck with whatever you choose to do !!!!

 

[Zoesmama03]

It will probably work but eating like that to lose weight doesn't work in the long run or I'd be thin by now. I assure you once that time is done and you back to preparing meals it can come back and fast.

I could be a tool to teach you foods and portions though I still think the best bet is tracking food and measuring and most importantly overhauling the foods you eat to as close as whole(raw when you can) as possible. And to lose the pounds slowly no more than 1-2 a week on average. Its okay to lose more than 2 on some weeks and less than a pound on others but overall its mostly likely to be truly all fat loss and not lean muscle which we want to hang onto.

My ex's mom and her friend did Jenny Craig with the meals and had great success then didn't have the habit of portion and food control. That was my same problem when I did Weight Watchers. I watched my points(calories) and portion then had stopped because I was working full time and doing college full time too and the meetings were key for me. The difference with Weight Watchers is you learn to control your portions and foods and in time get it down. Weight Watchers and even some of the big frozen meals come in portioned healthier options. I have in the past used those as lunches and dinners(adding more veggies as they seem a little heavy to the grain side) but the sodium levels just got to me.

I honestly don't think that any of those packaged foods are truly good for us. They are more than likely loaded with preservatives and sodium.

 

[averill94]

I loved Medifast when I did it 2 years ago and I lost 55lbs. I was so happy and felt so good and then of course I packed it all back on! I just love to eat and always will I guess.

They really say Weight Watchers is the way to go.

RIght now I am trying the Glycemic Load DIet. I got the book at the library. It is similar to Atkins.

Medifast got me to my goal. If was great while I was there. Sorry I spent all that money but I really do not regret it.

Good luck.

 

[jcgonczi]

I lost 40 pounds in 2 1/2 months with MediFast last year. It is a Glycemic (sp?) Index based diet that, if followed, puts you into fat burning and keeps you out of muscle burning by insuring you get enough protein. It also supposed to teach portion control and to eat every 3-4 hours. It is a great way to lose weight quickly in a healthy way. The quick weight loss was a great motivator for me.

However, as others have said, none of this will work long term unless you make a serious change in what and how much you eat once the diet is over. Medifast has what they call a Maintenance phase for once you are done losing weight. It is designed to slowly transition off of their food and onto healthy regular food. This lifestyle change is much harder than the diet itself. I work on it constantly. I have gained a few pounds back, but I got rid of all my bigger clothes. I refuse to buy more so I make myself get back on track.

Bottom line - it is a great tool, but unless you change your eating for the long term nothing is gonna keep the weight off.

 

[Inigo]

Like others have said, you can still cheat on Medifast, just like you can on every other diet. That was always my problem before too. What I have found that is working for me is a Body Bugg. I eat what I want and enter the food onto their internet site and then upload the data from the Body Bugg. It tells how many more calories I have burnt than I have ingested. Yes, I can still cheat, but this is working for me. I've lost quite a bit of weight, and even when I didn't wear it for two weeks, I found I was still losing weight because I was so used to the way I had been making choices.

http://my.apexfitness.com/

If anyone decides to get one, I'd recommend getting the display device also. This let me check a bazillion times a day to see how many calories I've burned so far.

 

[zumbergc]

what about meeting with a registered dietician, and working with a trainer at a gym? some gyms have dieticians too.

Some gyms have weight loss programs too. Which they address some of the food issues, and get you moving at the same time. I work out at lifetime fitness, and they are in many states. I don't know how much it costs to do their programs, but some meet a couple times a week, others meet every day. I do know working with the trainer in groups is cheaper than one on one sessions. it all depends on what you need, and if you have any special issues.

I guess if your permanantly going to stay on the plan it would work, but what happens when you go off the plan and you haven't modified how you eat in regular every day life, and working out several times a week.

You really need to find an activity that you like to do several days a week to get your heart rate up. I mean to initially loose the weight, your going to want to get moving more, but once you hit your goal weight, you need to still keep moving several days a week to keep the weight off.


In addition buy some fresh veggies and leaner meats to help with the food portion. There are different types of gyms in most cities. Some are more expensive than others, and have different features.

 

[5 at disney]

I have been on Weight Watchers since May 1st and I have lost 27 lbs so far. The most important thing is that I am learning how to eat appropriately and tricks for eating on the go and others. I know that I will maintain my goal weight when I reach it.

 

[mrsklamc]

WW and South Beach are the two diets I have heard people say worked for them when nothing else would.