Scientific evidence suggests that the Medifast diet is an effective weight loss plan. When you follow this diet, you eat meal replacements for the majority of your meals. The meal replacements are formulated to provide sufficient nutrition and include bars and shakes. People who follow the Medifast diet purchase meal replacements from Medifast, access meal planning guidance online and chose a support system to facilitate their success.
The Diet
The weight loss phase of the Medifast diet is called the "5 and 1 plan." You eat 800 to 1,000 per day consisting of five prepackaged meal replacements and one home cooked meal of 5 to 7 oz. of lean protein and 1 to 2 cups of vegetables. Medifast meal replacements are low in fat and fortified with vitamins. Choose from more than 70 meal replacements, including bars, shakes and soups. When you reach your weight loss goal, the transition phase begins and you gradually begin to exchange the meal replacements for self-selected meals.. During the maintenance phase, you make your own healthy food choices.
Initial Weight Loss
The Medifast meal replacement program works almost twice as well as a food-based diet program, according to a study from Medifast Inc. and published in the March 2010 issue of "Nutrition Journal." After 16 weeks, the Medifast group lost 12.3 percent of their body weight and the food based group only lost 6.9 percent. The Medifast group regained more weight during the weight maintenance portion of the study, but still lost more weight overall at the end of the study.
Nutrition
A meal replacement diet tends to offer a more adequate nutrient intake compared to food based diets, according to a study from the University of Nevada and reported in the June 2007 issue of the "Nutrition Journal." The participants followed either a meal replacement diet or a food based weight loss program. Out of the 96 healthy, overweight women who started the study, only 77 finished the 12-month study. The meal replacement group had significantly higher intake of several vitamins and minerals compare to the food based group.
Appetite Suppressants
Medifast meal replacements combined with prescription appetite suppressants work better than using either weight loss method alone, according to a scientific analysis by the University of Missouri and published in the June 2008 issue of the journal of "Eating and Weight Disorders." The study contained data from 1,351 participants. After 12 weeks, participants using both weight loss methods lost about 20 lbs. After 52 weeks, the same group had gained weight, but still only lost about 27 lbs.
References
- "Eating and Weight Disorders"; Effectiveness of Medifast Supplements Combined with Obesity Pharmacotherapy: A Clinical Program Evaluation; C.K Haddock; June 2008
- "Nutrition Journal"; The following abstracts include both peer-reviewed research (consisting .... " Efficacy of a Meal Replacement Diet Plan Compared to a Food-based Diet Plan after a Period of Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance: A Randomized Controlled Trial; L.M. Davis, et al.; March 2010
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Medifast Diet; Maria Adams; April 2011
- "Nutrition Journal"; Nutrient Adequacy During Weight Loss Interventions: A Randomized Study in Women Comparing the Dietary Intake in a Meal Replacement Group; Judith M. Ashley, et al.; June 2007
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