In the past I’ve been on lots of diets. Some worked, some didn’t and some made me want to eat my shoes. Not, surprisingly enough, because I was that hungry, but because there were so many decisions to be made! What I could eat, what I couldn’t eat, weighing ingredients, wondering if I had the right portion size for my height…it nearly drove me mad.

I even got to the point where I was doing one shopping trip for the rest of the family, and then going back in the store to get what I was allowed, then going home and preparing two dinners. One for them and one for me – I was exhausted, fed up, envious of what they were eating and as bad-tempered as a weasel by bedtime. And then the next day it all started again!

If all the other diets make you feel like that and you have a lot of weight to lose (50 lb or more), have you considered the Medifast Diet? With Medifast, all the hard work and worrying are done for you! You have 5 Medifast meal replacements per day, and 1 “lean and green” meal where you have 7oz lean protein along with 3 vegetables. This is the first phase, called the 5 + 1 Plan, and most people lose between 2 – 5 lbs a week.

At first, when I saw this advertised, it seemed just too good to be true. But a Johns Hopkins University study has proved that it actually works! One particular client had lost a massive 160lb in 10 months and had kept it off since then.

I’m not usually a fan of fad or very restrictive diets, but if you have a lot of weight to lose and find it incredibly difficult to follow diets without falling off the wagon on a regular basis, then Medifast could be the one for you.
This is how it works:

5 + 1 Plan

This is the starting point. You order 4 – week packs of meal replacements at a time (cost approx $275, but you can get discounts) and eat 5 meal replacements (bars, shakes, oatmeal), and 1 meat –and-3-veg meal a day. As you are encouraged to eat every few hours, you won’t get too hungry, and the food amounts allowed for the “lean and green” meal of the day are very generous (7oz meat is a good-sized portion). The meal replacements contain all the vitamins you need, and there is a free download on the site giving information and motivation!

Transition phase

When you have reached target weight loss, you move on to the next phase – Transition. Again, there is an excellent free download giving you all the information you need and telling you exactly how and when to re-introduce everyday food into your life. Transition lasts from 4 -12 weeks, depending on how much weight you have lost. This gradual approach is necessary so that you won’t start piling the pounds back on. And exercise is introduced – oh frabjous day! You are given a regular exercise program to follow, covering both aerobic and strength training. Doing both types is essential to replace any muscle you may have lost in the first phase. Remember – the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

Maintenance phase

More regular foods are slowly re-introduced, along with lots of motivational ideas for maintaining your new weight. In essence, your mind and tastebuds have been re-educated by this stage, and you will have made an amazing lifestyle change!

The Medifast Diet introduces you to a step-by-step proven method of losing weight and changing your life for the better. All the calorie-counting is done for you and there are no “grey areas” where you wonder what to do next. Many Medifast devotees find that unhealthy food cravings completely disappear and are replaced by lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits.

Which can only be a good thing.

To learn more about the Clinically Proven Medifast Meal Replacement Diet please click the link.

Carol J Bartram
(Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor & Massage Therapist)

The Medifast Diet