Hi all!

I'm thinking about starting Medifast. I am not even sure where to start. I'm looking for the best, most cost-effective way to go. Also, I want to avoid ordering anything gross. I'm looking through old posts, but would love some advice from the successful Medifasters.

1. Is the book worth buying?
2. What is a realistic goal?
3. Do I really just need a Magic Bullet and some ice for equipment?
4. What is the hardest part of this? Sticking to the plan?
5. What are your favorite flavors?
6. Is it worth becoming a "VIP Member" and does anyone know what that costs?

Thanks so much!

Hello! I've been using Medifast products since the first week in October, and have lost 25 lbs, which I think is pretty good! I've actually modified the plan to work for me (I think the strict 5+1 plan is pretty oppresive, and have gotten good results with my alterations). To answer your questions:

1. I don't know what book this is - I got a small recipe book with my first order, but didn't really use it.
2. Not sure what kind of goal you mean...?
3. I've never had a Magic Bullet.
4. I can't really answer this since, with the small adjustments I've made, this has been the easiest diet ever. After the first week, it has been extremely easy not to cheat - no cravings, little hunger. And I've always been a diet cheater, so I've been amazed!
5. I have a ton of Medifast food that I don't want, because there's a lot that tastes pretty bad and I didn't send it back within the 30 days, or lost the packing slip! If I was starting over, I would buy only the bars, maybe a few packages of chocolate shakes (the shakes are mostly decent, but to me don't feel like "eating"). The best-tasting bars are the "old" kind, which you're only supposed to have one of a day (chocolate and oatmeal raisin). Then the caramel and the peanut butter crunch bars. Some people do like the oatmeals and soups, but to me they just taste like chemicals.
6. I've never investigated the VIP membership.
I've had a really good experience with Medifast - hope that helps!

Wow- thanks for the great answer!

By a realistic goal, I'm wondering if 2lbs per week is possible. Or maybe more?

Thanks so much for the recommendations. May I ask how you adjusted the plan to meet your lifestyle?

I'm wading through the archives for more info., but would still love to hear from anyone currently working the plan.

Sure! First, what I do is definitely not the official Medifast plan, and other real Medifast adherants would certainly tell you to just stick to the plan as written. And if you can do that, it may well be the fastest system, but I know a considerable number of people end up quitting because of how strict it is. And with my plan, I've lost 25 lbs. in 11 weeks, which averages out to 2.27 lbs. per week, although it's usually 1-1.5 lbs per week (with a bigger drop at the beginning, as with most diet plans), so I'm sticking with it!

With the official Medifast plan, you eat 5 Medifast items per day, and one "lean and green" meal with very strict guidelines. What I do is combine 3 Medifast items a day with other foods, keeping calories at or under 1200 and (most importantly) keeping carbs under 100 g, and aiming for about 80. You have to stay under 100 to keep in that fat-buring state, so I try to stay well under it. So I have Medifast items for breakfast and as two snacks. Then I usually have a Morningstar Farms Grillers Classic veggieburger (that one specifically, because it only has 5 g. carbs) with a slice of cheese and a little ketchup and mustard for lunch. Then I have a normal dinner, without the starch - like a "lean and green" but without quite as many rules! I'll have that Dreamfields low-carb pasta, pasta sauce, etc. which are out according to the official Medifast plan, but as long as I count all the carbs and make sure I'm getting balanced nutrients, it both works and is healthy. Then, the KEY, is every night I have some chocolate! About an ounce of many gourmet chocolate bars has about 15 g. of carbs, and if you eat it slowly it's really all you need. If I'm out and tempted by sweets, I just remember that I get to have chocolate back at home. Following this plan has been really, surprisingly effortless. The first week was hard with the usual carb withdrawal - I felt vaguely sick for a few days. But after that, I have not been tempted to cheat, and I only get hungry right around mealtimes. Oh, and I actually have taken 2 day off where I ate whatever I wanted - Thanksgiving and my birthday - and am planning to take off Christmas Eve and Day, and even with that I lost weight both of those weeks. So, that's a really long answer to your question! If you feel you can stick to the official Medifast plan, it will definitely work, but if you want something less strict that's easy to stick to, this has worked for me! (Oh, I started at 201 and am now at 176, so results may not be as dramatic for you since you are starting at a lower weight.)