I have been just searching around the web to get some testimonials (outside of whats on the normal sites) about Medifast. I have already made up my mind that this is what I want to do and it will work for me. I've been researching since I was pregnant and I know this is right... so I wasn't searching because I doubted. I just wanted to see what successes others have had. I found a lot! However... I also came across SOOOO many ignorant people and posts.
The one the was the worst was a girl who didnt follow plan at all... ate regular meals... then only 4 of the medifast meals... then regular again... and she got a mirgrain and had to go to the hospital.. and she was dissing the diet... THEN she said "I am 120lbs and wanted to lose my extra 10lbs of body fat." Seriously????? Ugh... then there are people, I am reading on random forums, who ask about Medifast and asking people who have tried it... not ONE person who was on it responds, but plenty of people who "know" people who did the diet and gained everything back... that medifast isn't nutricionally sound (umm... hello? can we say john hopkins??) and it didn't work... and that her friend hated the food so much she just gave up and gained everything back and then some. There were a lot of comments like that...also comments like "I've never heard of it, just sounds like a quick fix that is dangerous"... For starters... if you don't know anything about it, then don't chime in with your opinions on it. Also, if thier "friend" didn't like the food, she wasn't ready for such a drastic change. I was telling my husband earlier "Do people expect gourmet food to come from packets of powder and diet food?"
I know sometimes people just dont want to do something that drastic and what they are doing totally works for them.. and that is wonderful! If they are able to lose weight conventionally and slowly then thats amazing they have that drive!! But sometimes people just can't lose weight that way. Sometimes we need to push our bodies into burning the fat. In my experience, I lose weight in drastic circumstances (I lost 70lbs when I went to college because we didnt have tv so the only thing I ever did was walk... for 5 hours a day at different times in a hilly area..) and when I lose weight I keep it off for a long time... the only reason I am even back to this palce is that I got pregnant and was on bed rest with my first son! I just do not understand why people make comments about something they just don't understand... and then in turn put down the people who are doing the diet to begin with. I don't think this will be a magic fix.. I think this will, at times, be very hard work.. .and then I have the responsibility to maintain my loss once it happens...and if I start to gain alittle weight back, I need to jump right back into weight loss mode and get on track!
I don't know... I guess I have a hard time with ignorant comments that are potentially keeping someone from having an amazing weight loss experience and possibly even having a new outlook on life! Haha You'd think I were already on this diet the way I am talking about it...
You asked for testimonials so I thought I would chirp in on this. First of all I share your frustration with the amount of misinformation on the 5&1 as far as nutrition and effectiveness of the program.
I was at 297 lbs and look at options for weight loss surgery as my last resort. Having family that worked in surgery I was quickly talked out of it and searching for something that would work. I had struggled for years to do something and was determined to not go over 300 lbs.
I did the 5&1 plan for 8 months and dropped the first 97 lbs of that weight. Actually it was closer to 110 lbs as I added muscle during the process. I went on transition and maintained it since April of 2009. Getting close to a full year now. I found the program easy, the support through their Take Shape program was key for me. I didn't have to count calories, the food was totally portable and I easy for me to take and stay on program. I went 6 months without a hitch through the holidays.
Will it stay off. For me the answer was yes. But I did follow transition and a change in lifestyle. These things are important no matter what program you use. It was easier to be active after the first 50 lbs came off and I have kept at it. Since then my wife lost 65 lbs in 4 months and now works out with me. (not bad for a couple of 54 year olds)
So that is a personal testimony for you. I am sure with your post that you have heard all the negative, I thought you ought to hear from someone that it has worked for. By the way the decision not to do WLS proved out to be my best choice. Another person in the office is still trying to get their weight off and has been at it a year longer. And now I eat what I want keeping in mind that I am eating for my health.
Rick - Thanks for the testimonial. Congrats on you and your wife's success.
Jenn - It's a shame about the negative reviews. They really are mis-leading. I think that part of the problem is the first few weeks on the diet are rough. You have to learn the whole program, get used to eating a LOT less and get used to the new taste. A lot of people give up on the diet too early and then they are very negative about it. Once you get past the initial difficulty it gets MUCH easier. Just look at how well we've all done on this forum!
I think the program will work if you are willing to do the work.
To address the "nay-sayers" - It might be considered a "quick fix" because you aren't doing it the "right way" which is eating right aka "normal foods" and exercising. Not saying that you aren't exercising...just saying that most people say eating right AND exercising are the way to go.
I feel that the best way to fix the issue is to learn how to eat right (good/healthy foods in proper portions) and exercise. It is a lifestyle change. Just like brushing your teeth or washing your hair (quoting a smart lady)...it is something you will have to do every day. It should be routine.
Obviously you did something "wrong" to gain the weight...we all did. Whether it was eating the "wrong" stuff or to much or not exercising or a combination of the two. Irregardless, the purpose is to lose the weight AND KEEP IT OFF!!!
I wish you luck with your choice and I hope it works wonders for you.
My doctor had a frank talk with me a couple of months ago. He stated plainly that the scientific lit shows that *most* people as overweight as I am will NOT be successful on a regular diet. He urged me to get the weight off quickly as I have metabolic syndrome and diabetes and feels these will be resolved with weight loss. THEN I can work on maintenance. And actually, I've become vegetarian and my weight has been coming off slowly (BUT I've lost LOTS of fat - no more thunder thighs, and I literally have a tiny backside - my fat is now all on my belly). So I feel I can maintain, it's just the initial loss. He SPECIFICALLY told me that several patients of his have had great success with doctor-monitored medifast/optifast type plans, and urged me to do it. Of course, it will be $3k, although that is a lot less than years of being a diabetic. I've been trying to do it on my own, but having done it successfully at UCLA med center in the 1980s as part of a clinical trial, I know that it works, and quickly (60 lbs in 3 months off - but you've got to have EKGs, lab work, etc if you are doing the full fast). Tinkering lately, I've realized I am extremely sensitive to carbs - I can diet/exercise all week, go over 150 gms carbs/day and that's it - the weight stays.
Samantha is right...it is a lifestyle change - I've found that through my vegetarianism. And I am exercising regularly now and eating healthy/proper foods in proper portions. But it is not working in getting the weight off...I need more. So I'm going to do the medifast/optifast option. Every body is different and you need to do what works for you. Best wishes.
Thanks for all the replies... I was just very frustrated because I knew the negative reviews were just inaccurate from me doing the scientific research first...
I just want to compair how people have done on the plan. Rickd thanks so much for sharing how well you and your wife have done!! That is amazing!!!
Samantha.. with my weight it really wasn't something I did "wrong"... I gained weight being on bedrest during my first pregnancy and I wasn't allowed to diet. My doctor made a deal with my husband to make sure I was eating because I was making myself even more sick when I wasn't eating cause I had some severe heartburn. When you HAVE to be on bed rest for 2 months and you HAVE to eat for a baby... and your body is already going through major changes... when I had the baby and saw how big I was, I was devistated. I could have done more when I had my first child, but it was such a shock and I had ppd for a few months..it wasnt until a year ago I started tyring to lose weight.. THEN I got pregnant again... and now I am 36lbs from my heaviest weight but ready to get serious to get the rest off. I lost weight once before and kept it off for 4 years without alot of struggle... I grew up as a heavy kid and never knew what "normal" or "thin" felt like until I was in college. I got married as a size 12/14 which was alittle heavy for me but I had some womanly problems that made being active hard for me and I believe in an active lifestyle! I have a very healthy relationship with food... in my family I am the one cooking the lean meats and the veggies.. not for any other reason than I think they taste really good! So that idea of having all this weight being all my fault, even my own doctor doesn't agree with that.. shes had a few heart to hearts with me because she knows how hard it was for me to gain all that weight without being able to do much about it.
Anyway.. thanks everyone for your responses! although it was just to vent... lol but I like hearing everyones stories!
I was 216 when I went on Medifast. Two months later I was at 175. I went off without transition(I don't recommend it) but I had developed better eating habits. I bounce between 160 and 170 as I have for a year and a half. I kinda stalled deliberately due to social pressure since I'm a 42 yr. old single parent in Utah(happens other places too) and the married women around me were getting a bit paranoid. When I get ready to go for my goal of 135, I'll go back on Medifast.
People can reach for excuses or reach for their goals. It's up to them. I prefer to be honest about it. I'm not at goal cause of ME. I love MF. It works. The naysayers can kiss my .
BTW. Be prepared. Every once in awhile, someone on a different diet on this site will accidentally stumble into this area and smack talk the replacement diets. Don't pay them no nevermind either. GOOD LUCK FOLKS!!!
Last edited by Operator265; 02-15-2010 at 08:52 AM.
Samantha.. with my weight it really wasn't something I did "wrong"... I gained weight being on bedrest during my first pregnancy and I wasn't allowed to diet. My doctor made a deal with my husband to make sure I was eating because I was making myself even more sick when I wasn't eating cause I had some severe heartburn. When you HAVE to be on bed rest for 2 months and you HAVE to eat for a baby... and your body is already going through major changes... when I had the baby and saw how big I was, I was devistated. I could have done more when I had my first child, but it was such a shock and I had ppd for a few months..it wasnt until a year ago I started tyring to lose weight.. THEN I got pregnant again... and now I am 36lbs from my heaviest weight but ready to get serious to get the rest off. I lost weight once before and kept it off for 4 years without alot of struggle... I grew up as a heavy kid and never knew what "normal" or "thin" felt like until I was in college. I got married as a size 12/14 which was alittle heavy for me but I had some womanly problems that made being active hard for me and I believe in an active lifestyle! I have a very healthy relationship with food... in my family I am the one cooking the lean meats and the veggies.. not for any other reason than I think they taste really good! So that idea of having all this weight being all my fault, even my own doctor doesn't agree with that.. shes had a few heart to hearts with me because she knows how hard it was for me to gain all that weight without being able to do much about it.
Anyway.. thanks everyone for your responses! although it was just to vent... lol but I like hearing everyones stories!
I do apologize if I upset you. I shouldn't catagorize all weight issues as being something we did wrong. I should start saying most, not all.
In my case. I was thin until my senior year of HS. Then I was average (not overweight). It wasn't until I turned 19 and was put out on my own that I started putting on the lbs. 10 lbs (+) a year over 10 years...and it didn't "sneak up on my" I seen it in pictures and I could tell when my clothes didn't fit. It wasn't until I got pregnant with my 2nd child (at 23) that the weight really became an issue.
But anyway. The important thing is that we are trying.
I do apologize if I upset you. I shouldn't catagorize all weight issues as being something we did wrong. I should start saying most, not all.
In my case. I was thin until my senior year of HS. Then I was average (not overweight). It wasn't until I turned 19 and was put out on my own that I started putting on the lbs. 10 lbs (+) a year over 10 years...and it didn't "sneak up on my" I seen it in pictures and I could tell when my clothes didn't fit. It wasn't until I got pregnant with my 2nd child (at 23) that the weight really became an issue.
But anyway. The important thing is that we are trying.
Its alright Samantha... really. I guess it is just frustrating for me to see my weight so high again after working SO hard to get it off the first time... 4 years I kept it off... and I was very happy maintaining that weight loss. For me, maintaining is always easier than losing. At least... its easier than STARTING to lose. For me, my body needs to find that perfect nitch to lose weight... I could do a million things right to get the weight off, but my body wont budge until I find something that makes it happy. lol So when I ended my first pregnancy at 260lbs I became even more depressed than I already was (I had pp depression really bad) and I gained another 16lbs on top of that... all the complications I had with my first just threw me in a loop. Then I started losing weight again,after I was done mourning the fact that I was so big again, and dropped 10lbs pretty quickly. However, about 2 weeks after I got to that 10lb weight loss, I found out I was pregnant.. AGAIN! The difference with this pregnancy was, I wasn't as sick (although still had some complications) and I watched the scale more... I also ate regularly as much as I could.. which is different than the first time... At the end of my 2nd pregnancy just a few months ago, I had gained 30lbs... so I was sure I either gained more weight or maintained my pre-pregnancy weight. But after the baby was born and I was put on bp medications (i developed high blood pressure after he was born this time... as opposed to during the pregnancy like with my first.. which was the reason I was on bed rest for two months) I dropped 40lbs in a week and was 10-15lbs lighter than my pre-pregnancy weight. Now I have lost another 10lbs on my own and I am 25lbs under my pre-pregnancy weight! 36lbs under my heaviest weight, and 50lbs under the heaviest weight I ever saw on the scale! (but I dont like to count what I weighed while i had a baby in my belly... lol because it was literally 40lbs of water weight).
ANYWAY... the point to my rant is that I understand alot of people do struggle with food and it is something that needs to be conquered and changed... and if I am not aggressive to get my weight off now while my body is still in transition mode from my pregnancy and I keep it on when I could easily work to get it off, then that is on me as well and will be my fault. Its just so hard to cope with the weight gain from my first pregnancy that was totally out of my control. I look at my pregnancy pictures even, and I see a distinction between before bed rest and how "slim" I looked pregnant... and then while on bed rest and after... and how large I quickly became.
So yeah... its just frustrating thats all... and not many weight loss guides address other issues behind weight besides being someone who overeats. Makes me feel like the odd duck out I guess.
Are People That Ignorant? (frustrated)
When I get ready to go for my goal of 135, I'll go back on Medifast.
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GOOD LUCK FOLKS!!! 
