February 27th, 2011 by AJ
The Medifast diet regimen is a meal replacement program wherein a person needs to eat 5 replacement meals and 1 lean and green meal each day. This is also known as the Medifast 5-in-1 Plan and yes, it does work for both men and women. There are even specific Medifast diet programs targeted for certain demographic, like the senior citizens, teens, pregnant women, and also those with certain conditions, like diabetes, gout, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity. So, the Medifast Plan can be really specialized in order to meet the specific needs of each individual.
Men and women who wish to shed some pounds should start with the 5-in-1 Plan. But, like any other sort of diet regimen, one should first consult with a physician or certified nutritionist before embarking on this challenging weight loss journey. The 5-in-1 Plan introduces the body to a high protein and low carbohydrate diet which encourages the body to stay longer on a state of ketosis, wherein the body burns fat for energy rather than glucose. There is also a wide assortment of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack selections for dieters, so dieters won’t get easily bored with tasting the same items.
Once the body has gotten used to the 5-in-1 Plan, a person can opt to go for the Medifast Complete Plan. Here, one needs to consume 5 to 6 Medifast replacement meals. A person can even opt to switch from the 5-in-1 Plan and the Complete Plan anytime he wants. So, one will be able to take pleasure in the variety of meals offered, as well as in these Medifast programs’ flexibility. For both diet plans, water plays a vital role. Water aids in fat elimination, and dieters are encouraged to increase water intake to at least 6 8-ounce glasses of water each day.
Since the metabolism of men and women are quite different, there are other recommended diet plans for each gender. In general, Medifast programs for women have smaller portions since women don’t need as much calories as men do. So, there’s the Medifast 55 Plan for women and the Medifast 70 Plan for men. These two are essentially the same. The difference lies in the amount of proteins and calories for each type. In the 55 Plan for women, each shake offers 11 grams of protein and about 90 calories. As for the 70 Plan, each shake possesses 14 grams of protein and 100 calories. The two programs have equal amounts of essential vitamins in each serving, which is about 20% to 50% of the US Reference Daily Intake or RDI. As like other Medifast programs, both of these also encourage about 3 to 5 pounds of weight loss each week.
Another Medifast diet regimen that men and women can try is the Medifast Plus for Appetite Suppression. In this plan, meal items are almost the same as the original types, except for the use of Fruit Fiber and CitriMax. Fruit Fiber helps in keeping hunger pangs at bay, and this also aids in fat or cholesterol elimination. As for CitriMax, this contains hydroxycitric acid and other substances that aid in appetite suppression. There are two varieties of suppression shakes, and these are Chocolate and Vanilla.
February 11th, 2011 by AJ
Not many diet plans can claim to be recommended by doctors, and it’s even more difficult to find a diet program that comes endorsed by thousands of medical professionals. The Medifast diet regimen is unique because this is the only diet program that is touted by over 20,000 doctors. This is particularly popular with those in the medical community since Medifast can trace its origins here.
When it was first developed by a doctor at Johns Hopkins University during the 1980s, the Medifast diet was primarily used as a quick weight loss diet program for overweight patients. These were patients who needed to shed some pounds in order to become qualified for surgery. This diet plan was mainly used by medical professionals, and many experts also contributed in developing Medifast items. As the popularity of the Medifast plan increased among those in the medical community, more and more doctors began to recommend and sell Medifast items directly to interested consumers. Knowledge about Medifast trickled from the experts to the public; hence, it’s not a surprise that most physicians know about the Medifast diet regime. A group called the “Medifast Medical Provider Network” was formed, and by 1992, its members reached about 15,000. Today, there are over 20,000 doctors who highly recommend the Medifast plan and there are even more doctors who have joined the Medifast Medical Provider Network, which seeks to provide professional guidance to those who wish to lose weight. Members of this network also work with Medifast in order to provide clients with ample support and proper supervision when dieting.
Medifast also continues to research and develop new programs which undergo thorough clinical studies. These studies are then evaluated by doctors. If new programs are found to be effective, these will be used as a guide or a tool for those who wish to lose weight.
Doctors also recommend Medifast because of the variety of specialized programs available. There are diet plans for seniors, teens and also pregnant women. There are also specific diet plans for those with medical disorders. Examples are diet plans for diabetics, for those with gout, and also those under anticoagulant therapy. With carefully studied diet plans focused on the specific health needs of consumers, doctors feel more confident about encouraging their patients to try out the Medifast program.
Going on a diet is a huge and tough challenge, which is why support is very significant as this will help sustain a dieter’s will to succeed in a certain diet plan. Medifast support tools are comprehensive. There are discussion groups, tips on how to make Medifast meals more interesting, nutritional information, as well as guidance from medical professionals. If, for instance, a person is interested in the Medifast Plan and his doctor is not quite well-informed about this, then he can refer his physician to the Medifast team. A representative will get in touch with the doctor and explain the diet regimen completely. This avoids any misunderstanding between doctors and patients, and also it helps bridge the information gap amongst those in the medical field.