The Medifast Diet and Oprah Winfrey – Did Oprah Ever Do Medifast?
Over the years, Oprah has certainly done a lot of different diets. But for anyone wondering if Oprah ever did Medifast, I’m quite certain the answer is no. Back in the 1980s, Oprah did do a diet that, at the time, was quite similar to Medifast. But that diet was actually called Optifast and it is owned by a different company.
The big similarity between Optifast and Medifast is that both, back in the 80’s, were essentially liquid diets. This lead to very fast weight loss, not only for Oprah, but for lots of other dieters as well. Oprah lost about 65 lbs in just a few months. But you may have noticed — she gained it all back. This is typically what happens to a lot of dieters who follow very strict and very low calorie such as Optifast. In fact, the diet is so strict that it really requires doctor’s supervision in order to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients that you need and aren’t doing any damage to your internal organs.
While Medifast actually was quite like Optifast back then, it’s changed a lot over the years. First of all, Medifast is no longer strictly a liquid diet. Almost all Medifast dieters now follow what is known as a 5 and 1 plan. This refers to the fact that each day, you eat five Medifast foods and then prepare a lean and green meal for yourself from fresh greens, vegetables and quality protein sources such as chicken or fish.
Also, the Medifast foods are no longer just shakes. There are now many different food bars, puddings, a variety of oatmeal flavors, and even a couple of soups, chili and some hot drinks such as cocoa and chai latte. The variety helps make Medifast more interesting and easier to stick to in the long term. And the lean and green meal is designed to help you start planning your own meals so you can continue to maintain your weight loss during maintenance.
Optifast is still around too, but I’m not that familiar with how Optifast works nowadays, though I know it is still a meal replacement program. It is also a diet that you have to go to a doctor’s clinic to get rather than being able to order it for yourself at home. That’s one of the major advantages of Medifast. With the change to the 5 and 1 plan and the incorporation of fresh whole food into your daily meal plan, you can safely follow Medifast on your own. Although, it is always a good idea to let your doctor know what you are doing in case he or she has any concerns about your health specifically.