Hi, I'm starting Medifast on Wednesday as I have been counting calories and working out for a month with no progress. I was wanting to use Medifast for about 30 days plus a couple weeks to transition and go back to 1200 calories keep working out and loose the rest that way. Is that setting myself up for failure? I really need to see something for my efforts but I know that if I don't have an end date with the Medifast I will be focused on what I can't eat. With the end date in mind I can tell myself I can have it later. As long as I have the calories for it of coarse. I need to loose about 50 lbs

Hello sugarcrane! I tried doing Medifast and then going to a lower calorie diet. That unfortunately did not work for me. What I have learned through Medifast is that you have to transition off of it slowly or you will gain it back and I mean all of it. Note though that everyone is different and that you may have more will power to stay consistent with the 1200 calorie diet. I did not. Hope this helps :~) Good luck with your decision!

I just recently went back on Medifast 3 days ago after being able to maintain the 50 lbs I lost 2 1/2 years ago on it. I was able to maintain my loss but it was pretty difficult. I would transition from low carbing to just watching what I ate. I did have fluctuations here and there of about 10 lbs but was always able to get it back off with hard work. I wish it were easier!

I agree with transitioning off slowly and then seeing how 1200 calories works for you. You can always make changes to your after Medifast plan as you go.

As a lifelong calorie counter, I say you are setting yourself up for failure unless, you also count and track how many grams carbs and grams protein.

Although I am mostly doing the traditional Medifast diet and consuming Medifast foods, I'm still tracking everything I consume using the MyFitnessPal smart phone app, setting "Goals" to the Medifast protocol of 40% Protein, 40% Carbs and 20% Fat and 1000 calories a day. (MyFitnessPal’s current default goals are 20% Protein, 50% Carbs, 30% Fat and 1200 calories a day.)

MyFitnessPal "Nutrition" page not only generates the daily totals of everything broken down, but also a pie chart that visually indicates precisely how percentage Protein to Carbs to Fats you've consumed for the day or the week.

In practice, I'm find myself consuming fewer carbs (and calories, just because it has worked out that way) than what Medifast allows, but never more because the entire point is to remain in Ketosis, which is why I have been able to lose 30 lbs in 7 weeks without hitting the gym, yet --- something that would taken me 6 months to accomplish if eating SOME of the carbs I love, working out 5 times a week and counting calories. I know this to be true because it's what I did last year, until the holidays when I put all the weight back on, again.

With all said and done, I'm exploring alternatives for me, which is to continue to order some of the Medifast foods I really like for, lets say 2-3 meals a day, because it's so easy, and eating more low carb real food on my own. To that end, I have reintroduced myself to George Stella recipes --- actually bought his latest cookbook, which, btw, is fabulous.

Anyway, for me, the key to success this time around is a combination of Medifast, tracking using the MyFitnessPal smart phone app which helps keep me on the straight and narrow because I will stray by substituting real low carb food for some Medifast meals ... that has already begun.