Medifast Diet

Medifast diet relies on meal replacement products, which are formulated to be low on calories, fats and carbohydrates, even as they contain the optimum vitamin levels. It is known to help in loosing weight quickly, while fostering a notable improvement in the overall health of the consumer. The diet functions around the Ketosis concept, where the body is brought to a state where it is forced to burn its own fat sources for energy, a common phenomenon initiated by diets based on frugal energy intake.

 

A John Hopkins University study shows that Medifast diet results in significant weight loss for a person. As per the diet plan, the body is introduced to frequent meals (generally 6 meals a day), which prevent the body from feeling hunger pangs. This reduces the chances of consuming foods that are not a part of the Medifast diet plan. Initially, Medifast products were only available with doctors, but now, they can be easily availed through local distributors, many of them registered online.

 

Medifast meals include the following:

 

Add-ons, like snacks, flavor infusers and dietary supplements, can also be included in a Medifast diet plan.

 

Medifast plan packages are available in three varieties, namely variety packages, enhanced packages, and momentum packages. The variety package includes 4-week and 2-week packages for men and women and also for diabetic patients. Enhanced package includes a 4-week diet package for men, women and diabetic patients and the momentum package includes inexpensive Medifast meals. These packages are recommended according to individual requirements and targeted weight loss.

 

The ‘5 and 1’ is the basic Medifast plan, which provides for the consumption of 5 Medifast replacement meals per day and a leading lean and green meal, which you can prepare on your own. The self-prepared meal needs to comprise of high quantity proteins and vitamins. Most Medifast products, including soups, chili, shakes, oatmeal and bars, require very little preparation and give adequate nutrition to the body, as they are enriched with vitamins and minerals. 5 and 1 phase is the essential part of the medifast diet.

 

The 5 and 1 phase is designed to assist you in reaching your targeted weight. It is followed by the two phases of transition and maintenance. The transition phase slowly reintroduces regular food in your diet. Maintenance, which is the third phase, is a long term plan to not consume more calories than you are spending each day. By the time you enter the maintenance phase, your taste buds become accustomed to healthy foods and bad eating habits are shunned in favor of healthy food habits.

 

If you are following Medifast diet, it is quite probable for you to experience muscle loss during the weight loss phase, due to the intake of low-energy foods. Doubts have also been expressed by some quarters about the long term consequences of Medifast diet. A program based around shakes and soups may not be favorable in the long term. Nevertheless, the popularity of Medifast diet is on the rise and more and more people are switching over to the Medifast way of losing weight.