What Are Some Of The Beliefs Behind The Medifast Diet?

I sometimes hear from folks who want to know more about the core values and beliefs behind the Medifast diet in order to know if the diet would be a good fit for them.

I heard from someone who said: "I've tried a lot of diets. And I think I have a pretty good handle on why at least some of them haven't worked. Essentially, I don't like to work too hard. I don't like to get bored. And I don't like to feel deprived or hungry. And yet, I don't feel as if any diet really covers these bases. What are the principles behind the Medifast diet? And how does it differ from the others?"

I'll try to answer these questions as best as I can based on my own observations. If you have specific questions, it's always a good idea to ask the company itself. Know that these are just my own observations and opinions.

They Believe In Keeping It Simple And Easy, But They Want For You To Ease Into A Healthier Lifestyle: It's my belief that the biggest thing that Medifast has going for it is the ease of use. You don't have to worry about counting calories or carbs or even keeping careful track of what you've eaten. All you really need to do is to choose five of the meals they send you and set yourself up with a larger meal that is fresh. (This is called the lean and green meal and you've given guidelines about this.) By providing the vast majority of what you eat each day, they have made it extremely easy for you. 

But, after you've been at the diet for a while, you might be surprised to realize that you're learning healthier eating habits. Why? Because you have to make choices for your lean and green meal. And, as a result, you're learning how to choose lean protein with healthy sides. And for the most part, you don't even realize that you are learning this. The diet feels easy, but by the end of it. you may find that you look at food, and at preparing meals, a little differently.

They Encourage The Accountability That You're Comfortable With: Most people accept that education and support are good additions to any weight loss program. But how much of this feels right is up to the individual. Some people like diets where they regularly "weigh in" and some find this face to face accountability to be overwhelming or intimidating. Medifast has resources for whatever makes you the most comfortable. They have counseling if you need it. There are forums where you can interact with other users if you like to reach out and be supported by others. There are tons of educational resources if you are interested. But, none of this is required. They allow you to choose which level of support and accountability feels right for you.

They Believe In The Right Balance Of Carbohydrates And Protein: This is something that I don't see discussed that much on the forums but I most definitely notice it when I look at the nutritional content of the foods. As you'd expect, the foods are low in calories. Most entries come in at around 110 - 120 calories each, which isn't surprising. But if you look a little more closely, you'll notice that every effort has been made to make sure that the foods are low in carbs and high in protein and fiber. 

In fact, if you read the lean and green literature, they even break down the starch and carb content of many popular vegetables so that you are aware of this ratio. They want for you to understand that having a low amount of carbohydrates and a higher amount of protein helps you to lose weight more efficiently.

They Believe In Eating Small Meals Often: Most people are a little surprised to find out that you eat six times per day on this diet. Not only that, but you're also allowed 2 snacks on top of this if you need to take them. (Granted, there are snack guidelines. But even if you follow those, that's still eating eight times per day.) This may seem like a lot at first, but outside of the lean and green meal, these meals are not huge ones. 

A lot of people ask me about skipping some of these meals. I don't advocate this because eating the way that you are supposed to will keep you feeling full. But also, your body actually needs fuel to keep your metabolism strong.