The Medifast program is a combination of prepared foods and small regular meals, eaten six times a day. It promotes rapid weight loss through a balanced combination of vitamin-fortified carbohydrates and protein that creates a calorie deficit, causing your body to burn fat for energy. The balance of protein and carbs also ensures that you’re losing fat, not lean muscle mass. Once your goal weight is attained, it includes transition and maintenance phases to maintain your new, lower weight.

Medifast is a portion-controlled, nutritionally balanced, low-fat and clinically proven program that claims to help people lose weight faster and more effectively than traditional diet plans. It boasts an average loss of 20 pounds per month. Medifast Meals come in individual packets that you mix with water, microwave, and/or refrigerate. These meals are available in a wide variety of foods and flavors, including shakes, puddings, soups, stew, chili, oatmeal, snack bars and hot beverages. Once on the program, participants eat six meals a day, made up of five Medifast meals and one “lean and green” meal. The latter consists of a balanced portion of 5 to 7 ounces of lean protein, such as beef, chicken or fish, combined with a salad or vegetables. Since participants are eating every couple of hours, energy levels stay consistent and they don’t get hungry.

Participants in Medifast receive a variety of online tools, including message boards, BMI calculators, physician finders, product information, sample meal plans, recipes, helpful articles like a “holiday survival guide,” and materials printed in Spanish. The chief plusses are the convenience of the plan, with foods that are delivered right to your door in pre-packaged, portion-controlled servings, and the rapid rate of weight loss, which helps individuals stay motivated.

Medifast costs average about $10 per day, $70 per week, and $275 per month, if you purchase the plan’s vitamin-fortified Variety Packages. Prices can go higher if products are purchased individually. However, there are no enrollment or membership fees, and many people find their Medifast bill isn’t any higher than their regular grocery and vitamin supplement costs. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll still need to purchase meat and vegetables, plus additional food once you’re on the maintenance program.

Another concern -- if the transition and maintenance phases aren’t followed carefully, it is easy to regain weight lost on the Medifast plan. And while it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor before starting any weight-loss plan, it’s crucial that you do so before beginning Medifast. The program may not be suitable for people with medical conditions, such as diabetes. For others, the program works well as long as they are monitored regularly by their doctor. This is recommended especially for those who will be on the program for longer than 16 weeks.