Is Medifast a Nutritionally Sound Diet?
The Medifast diet program was created over 27 ago, as a healthy and nutritionally sound diet plan to be followed while under supervision of a physician. It was prescribed by doctors to overweight patients, with their progress tracked by weekly visits. Since it has become available to the public, and sold online, people have questions about whether or not Medifast is a nutritionally sound diet, as most meals are replaced by a soy protein meal substitute such as a shake or a soup.
Medifast is a very low calorie weight loss program. Most dietitians suggest that you don’t drop below 1,200 calories when dieting, however this program only provides between 800 to 1,000 calories each day. In spite of it being a very low calorie program however, it does provide high protein levels and the foods are complete as far as providing all of the Recommended Daily Allowances of minerals and vitamins. Based on this, the Medifast plan is a solid program that does provide nutritionally complete foods. Something that could make this program less nutritionally sound is keeping your powdered products past their expiry date, as this could cause your product to lose some of its goodness and nutritional components.
Weight loss is inevitable when calorie intake is restricted, but many dieters find it difficult to stick to very low calorie plans. While the meal replacement plan cuts calories, this high fiber and high protein diet also reduces hunger, which can help dieters stick to the program. Part of the success of this plan is that meals are consumed more regularly than normal, which helps stabilize blood sugar levels as well as controls hunger and cravings.
Normally, it is safe to stay on the plan until you reach your weight loss goals unless you become pregnant or your doctor indicates that you need to start using the maintenance program. If you have a lot of weight to lose and you plan on staying on the weight loss plan for longer than sixteen weeks, Medifast recommends that you should continue your diet under the supervision of a doctor.
Ultimately, it works out that the Medifast diet is balanced, and provides all the nutrients your body needs to sustain your energy and strength. The main thing to note with this diet is that its important to follow the weight loss phase properly. As it is already a low calorie diet, you want to make sure you eat your lean & green meal each day. You also should not skip meals.
