Medifast is a low-calorie diet that consists of meal replacement shakes and other specially formulated foods that you purchase from Medifast. Originally available only through a doctor's office, you can now order the Medifast meals online, although the company recommends that you work with a doctor. The plan can produce dramatic weight loss results if followed. Medifast claims clients can lose between 2 and 5 pounds a week on the program, or 20 pounds a month.
Results
The daily calorie intake for the 5 & 1 Plan, the plan most people start with, is 800 to 1,000 calories a day, a significant calorie deficit for most people. You consume five Medifast meal replacements and one meal of lean meat and low-carbohydrate vegetables each day, eating every two to three hours. You also drink at least 64 oz. of water daily. During the initial phase you eat no starches, dairy or fruit. The meal replacements are low-fat and low-sugar.
Why it Works
It takes about 3,500 calories to make a pound of fat. All the calories you consume in excess of what your body burns in its daily functioning go toward excess weight. If you consume fewer calories than your body needs for daily functioning, your body burns excess fat and you lose weight. A calorie deficit of 500 calories a day results in a weight loss of about 1 lb. a week. The 800 to 1,000 calories a day on the Medifast plan will produce a calorie deficit or 1,000 calories or more per day for most people, resulting in a weight loss of 2 or more pounds per week.
Transition and Maintenance
When you've reached your weight-loss goal, you begin the transition phase of the Medifast plan. During this phase you move from relying on the Medifast meal replacements to eating food you make at home. Over a period of weeks, you consume fewer meal replacements and eat meals of lean protein, vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy and complex carbohydrates. This phase emphasizes healthy low-fat, low-sugar meals. Finally, you move to the maintenance phase, where you no longer use Medifast meal replacements. These two phases aim to boost the success rate of people who have been on the diet by helping them to maintain their weight loss.
Other Considerations
You should attempt a very-low-calorie diet such as Medifast only with a doctor's supervision. Some people, such as very overweight people whose weight endangers their health, might benefit from losing weight so quickly. But severe calorie restriction can be dangerous for some people, including athletes and pregnant women. Some people don't like the taste or the limited variety of meal replacement plans such as this. The plans can also be expensive: In 2011, the Medifast plan cost about $300 a month for the meal replacements.
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