Medifast Review

You've probably seen the ads for the Medifast diet plan and perhaps you have wondered "would it work for me?" Recently, two of your brave LoveToKnow editors jumped in and gave Medifast a try for a month just so they could report the results to our visitors.

Would we be able to lose weight? More importantly, would we be hungry, and would the food taste palatable?

Medifast Program

Medifast actually offers several program variations, depending on age, weight loss goals, activity level and health conditions (such as diabetes). Since both editors are basically healthy, but with some extra weight to lose, we tried the "5 and 1 plan" which involves consuming 5 of the Medifast Meals each day and one "Lean & Green" Meal which consists of a generous portion of lean protein and green vegetables.

On the Medifast 5 & 1 program, dieters eat six times a day—five Medifast Meals and one "regular" meal called Lean & Green which consists of lean protein and vegetables. There is no fruit, bread, or milk on the plan.

Medifast Community

One of the best parts of the Medifast program is the community. There are blogs, where members chronicle their daily life on the program, and a message board. The message board is great—you can ask questions of the registered dietitians or of other Medifast dieters. The interaction is wonderful—dieters share their ups and downs, their successes and failures, and their tips and recipes. If you're having a tough day, you can go on, post, and you'll soon have several messages picking you up, cheering you on, and giving you a kick in the pants if needed! The members are very creative, offering ways to add variety to the food, while staying on plan. There are great tips there for every aspect of following the Medifast plan, from food preparation, to exercise and attitude! There you can also discover how unique people's tastes are, since people compare their likes and dislikes with the food.

Misty's Review

A Little About Misty

Growing up and into my early 20s, I was able to maintain a healthy BMI. After marriage, things went wrong. I had trouble getting pregnant and infertility treatments took a toll on my body. When I finally conceived, my weight ballooned. After two more pregnancies and breastfeeding, my weight was near 200. For my health and self esteem, I had to do something, and Medifast seemed like a healthy option.

Medifast Meals

The Medifast food is in powder form—you simply add water, shake, and in some cases, heat. It's simple enough, but I didn't have high hopes for the taste. How good can powdered foods possibly taste? Turns out, some are downright delicious. Tastes obviously vary, but here's my take on the items I tried:

• Shakes—I tried the Swiss Mocha, Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Strawberry Crème varieties of the Medifast 55 Shakes. I absolutely loved the Dutch Chocolate! Mixed with ice in a blender, it's creamy and yummy. I wasn't crazy about the strawberry, but the others were good.
• Bars—I really liked the Peanut Butter Bars! They didn't have the odd texture or the aftertaste I've experienced with other diet bars. The Chocolate and Chocolate Mint were also very good.
• Eggs—I was a bit apprehensive about trying the eggs. My first effort was less than satisfying—the eggs were bland and rubbery. After that, I tried cooking them omelet-style stovetop, and they were much better. In fact, eggs became my favorite Medifast Meal. I felt like I was cheating and getting two "real" meals a day!
• Soups—I ordered the Chicken and Rice. It was a little bland for my taste, but that's easily remedied with a little of the allowed spices.
• Chili—With some added cumin, chili powder, and black pepper, the chili is quite tasty. I slow cooked mine in the crockpot for a more authentic chili taste.
• Stew—The stew is the one Medifast Meals I could not develop a taste for. While I tried some variations in seasoning and cooking it, it just was not for me.

Going Hungry?

I was hungry the first few days on the plan, but that improved. I found that I was able to maintain my energy best by having my Lean & Green as my midday meal instead of saving it for dinner. I also staved off hunger better when I kept up my water intake.

Misty's Bottom Line

In the end, I lost 12 pounds in a month on Medifast. Although many people do lose 20 pounds in a month, 12 is well within the 2 to 5 pound average loss per week that Medifast advertises. I also had dental surgery in my second week on the program and had to abstain from food for two days. When I was able to eat, I indulged in my favorite comfort food: mashed potatoes. I'm sure that didn't help my progress.

Ann's Review

A Little About Ann

I've battled extra weight my whole life, and the last couple years I have not been winning! Motherhood, advancing age and stress have all taken their toll and I decided Medifast was just the kick-start I needed to break some bad eating habits and reduce portion sizes.

Medifast Meals

I tried the following foods in my month on Medifast.

• Shakes—I tried the Swiss Mocha, Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Strawberry Crème varieties of the Medifast 55 Shakes. Like Misty, my favorite was the Dutch chocolate, but I liked all of the others. I experimented with blending the shakes with ice and with the Medifast pudding (see below) to make them thicker and loved the results. I also tried adding cinnamon, vanilla and ginger to the vanilla for a sweet, spicy treat.
• Pudding – I ordered the Chocolate Pudding, which was a nice treat and as well as the Vanilla. While the Vanilla was a bit bland for my taste, I added some powdered lemon flavor and made it "thick" for an almost cheesecake consistency that became a nightly treat I really looked forward to!
• Bars—I tried the Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate and Chocolate Mint Bars and was impressed by all of them. The Peanut Butter were also my favorite with their chewy texture and the Oatmeal Raisin ones reminded me of a cookie!
• Oatmeal – I tried both the Apple Cinnamon and Maple Brown Sugar varieties of the oatmeal. The oatmeal lacks the consistency of classic oatmeal, having a smoother texture more like "cream of wheat." My favorite was the Maple Brown Sugar.
• Soups—I tried the Chicken and Rice and Chicken Noodle varieties. While I found them a bit bland without seasoning, adding a cube of chicken bouillon made all the difference and I found them quite enjoyable.
• Snacks—I tested the wheat crackers as a Medifast Snack. They are good, basic crackers and are handy to take along when you know you might have to stretch time between your meals a bit longer than ideal.
• Flavor Infusers – Flavor Infusers do not count as a "meal" on the plan; they are an extra treat. I tried the Strawberry Lemonade drink mix, which has caffeine along with flavor you add to water. This stuff is yummy! I limited myself because of the caffeine, but I really enjoyed this drink.

Staying On Plan

The first few days on Medifast were a challenge for me. Not only was I adjusting to the new plan, but I was breaking some bad eating habits. After about 4 days, it definitely got easier as I was less hungry and came up with better coping strategies. One of my best tips was to eat part of my "green" as a snack during the afternoon; I remembered I really like raw bell pepper and found it quite satisfying.

Ann's Bottom Line

In my month on Medifast, I lost 13 pounds, which is the best progress I've made on any diet or plan in the last 5 years. I found the Medifast forums very inspirational and it helped to have Misty to compare notes with and so we could offer support to one another via email!

Overall, we would definitely recommend this program to others needing to lose weight. If you are able to eat every two to three hours and abstain from fruit, bread, tortillas, and other simple carbs, this could be the plan for you.