Medifast is a low-calorie, rapid weight loss plan that uses diet products and a limited amount of fresh food. Get your doctor's approval before starting any weight loss diet. Medifast recommends working especially closely with your doctor throughout your weight loss program if you are older than 70 or younger than 18 years of age, you are on medications or if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
Program Overview
Each day on the Medifast 5 & 1 Plan for weight loss, you eat five Medifast meals and a single, low-calorie meal from regular foods. You can also have a low-calorie snack, such as celery, sugar-free gelatin or an ice pop, dill pickle spears or sugar-free gum. As a Medifast client, you can create a personal account, use weight tracking and meal planning tools and join in online community discussions with other members. Registered dietitians will answer your nutrition questions.
Medifast Meals
Most Medifast meals are interchangeable, and you can choose any of them for your five Medifast meals on your 5 & 1 Plan. Choices include pretzels, scrambled eggs, soups, puddings and oatmeal, and each has about 100 calories and at least 10 g protein. They are fortified with at least 20 percent of the daily value for most vitamins and minerals. Up to two of your daily Medifast meals can be Medifast Health Management shakes, such as Medifast Plus for Joint Health, with glucosamine and chondroitin.
Lean and Green Meal
Once a day, make yourself a Lean and Green meal with protein, vegetables and a small amount of fat. Your protein can be 5 oz. of a lean protein, such as salmon, mackerel, lean ground beef, eggs or dark meat chicken or turkey. Other options are to have 6 oz. of a leaner protein, such as white meat chicken or turkey or swordfish, or 7 oz. of cod, tuna, flounder, shellfish, lean ground turkey or egg whites. Have three 1/2- or 1-cup servings of green options, or vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, eggplant, zucchini, lettuce or turnip greens.
Transition and Maintenance
The Medifast 5 & 1 Plan provides about 900 calories and 80 to 85 g carbohydrates for a target weight loss of 2 to 5 lbs. per week. Once you reach your goal weight, Medifast Transition plans can help prepare to go back to eating regular foods without Medifast meals. Gradually increase the amount and type of regular foods that you eat as you reduce the amount of Medifast meals per day. Your transition to maintenance takes eight to 16 weeks, depending on the amount of weight you have lost.
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