If you need to lose a significant amount of weight, the Medifast Five and One program may be able to help. This weight loss program is a low-calorie diet that lets you eat six times a day, and it provides clear instructions and online support. Before starting any diet program, consult with your doctor to make sure that it is the best for you.
Medifast Meals
Each day on the Medifast Five and One program, you can have any five Medifast Meals of your choice. Some of the options are pretzels, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, chili, soup, bars and brownies. Each small meal provides about 100 calories, up to 3 g fat, 4 to 5 g dietary fiber and about 11 g protein, with most of it from soy. The meals have at least 20 percent of the daily value for many essential vitamins and minerals.
Shakes
Up to three of your Medifast meals can be Medifast Shakes, which you choose based on your individual needs. Some examples are Medifast Plus for Diabetics with caffeine, Medifast Plus for Appetite Suppressant with extra protein and Medifast 55 for women with black cohosh and Echinacea. Most of the shakes come in mixes so you can add water before drinking them, but you can drink the Ready-to-Drink Shakes straight from the package. The instructions for using Medifast shakes say that you should only have a single type of shake each day, rather than having two or three different kinds.
Lean and Green
You can choose what time of the day to have your Lean and Green Meal. The meal has a serving of lean protein with meat options including shrimp, chicken breast or salmon, and vegetarian alternatives such as egg whites or tofu. You get three servings of nonstarchy vegetables, and the list includes broccoli, lettuce, zucchini and cabbage. You also get up to two servings of healthy fats such as walnut oil or olives, and you can have small amounts of low-calorie seasonings like mustard or chopped onion.
Considerations
If you choose to go on the Medifast Five and One plan, you will need to use Medifast's special diet products in order to follow the diet properly. This means you need to plan carefully so that you always have enough around for when you need them, since they may not be available at your local store. Since the diet relies so heavily on diet products, you may not develop new eating habits that will allow you to maintain your weight loss once you stop using Medifast products.
Not for Everybody
Medifast claims that it can help you lose 2 to 5 lbs a week. Anyone should get medical advice before starting a weight loss program, but Medifast warns that certain individuals should only follow the program if they work closely with their doctor. If you are over 70 or under 18 years, have diabetes or hypertension, or are on medications, Medifast recommends extreme caution while you are on the Five and One program.
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