I've been doing a ton of research on Medifast and I heard quite often that people lose weight successfully, but after getting off the program often gain quite a bit back.
I'm currently on WW right now, and for whatever reasons, it's not working for me. I'd rather try a program that takes the guesswork and counting and measuring and all that annoyance out. My question is: do you think it would be possible to transition off of MF and back to WW without gaining everything back? WW is a bit more lenient than MF, I'd say. I just don't want to jump out of ketosis and back into my fat jeans.
MF has a transition and maintenance program, so there is no need to phase back into WW.
No matter what program you're on, you can regain if you "stop" doing the program, especially if you skip transition and maintenance. Plenty of people have regained after stopping WW.
Go to the Medifast website and download the Quick Start guide--it explains the basics of the whole program.
I heard the same things before starting Medifast, but my reasoning was that it would be a nice problem to have. I'm expecting some bounceback when I finish (and adjusted my target weight appropriately.) I also found that every diet has a high percentage of people who regain weight, especially for prepared meal-type diets. It's a function of human nature, and how difficult it really is to change habits and culture.
However, I would rather be in the position of having lost 65 pounds and be fighting to keep it off, than to be in the position of being 65 pounds overweight. I'm tired of being fat, of feeling fat, of being overweight starting to give me medical problems.
It's probably possible to transition back to WeightWatchers to help maintain the weight afterwards, or even to use it to kickstart your diet. The two programs follow different philosophies, so there may be some periods of low loss while your metabolism readjusts.
Do whatever it takes, whatever works. Medifast works for me. I'll take maintenance/transition when it comes.
@Jay- I downloaded and read all the pages of both the Quickstart guide and the transition/maintenance guide in my research. I'm a little concerned that they want you to pretty much supplement your diet with their products like... forever. I would like to transition completely off and away from medifast, and become and ww lifetime member, as I enjoy the meetings, the support, and the idea that it's a program that can be a lifestyle with real food that will allow me to indulge once in a while. My problems right now are sort of "sticking with it" and just getting that jumpstart and maintaining it in my busy life. WW is not a program of convenience, like MF is. I'd like to get back to WW just as a sort of... guide? for the rest of my life. If that makes any sense.
@Sequi- Thanks for the advice! You make very valid points. I'd really like to lose the bulk of my weight on MF, and then slowly peck away at the rest back on WW, and then stay on WW for the rest of my life. Or until I don't feel I need a crutch anymore... which may be never.
I don't think that you "have" to use the Medifast products the rest of your life--it's that they are good products that you may want to include in your maintenance.
Right now I am off of Medifast because I can't have that much protein isolate--had a food-intolerance reaction. But I am trying to re-create the program using whole foods instead. It's not easy, and I'm not sure I can make it work. I am matching what I see on the Nutrition panels of the Medifast meals with the content of others foods. For example, an 8 ounce glass of 1% milk is pretty much equal to a Medifast meal (although lacking in fiber). I guess this is sort of like what Sequi 2008 is doing. And I'm taking a daily multivitamin.
But once you get into maintenance, you're not running such a big deficit and you have added back in many whole foods, including fruits and some grains. If you don't want to buy the meals anymore, the principles are still the same. Just as with WW--you don't "have" to keep going to the meetings forever.
Phasing off of Medifast- Is it possible?
