Is Medifast a Low Carb Diet?

I've found that one of the best ways to lose weight is to cut down on carbohydrates. So one of the questions I have when considering Medifast for weight loss is whether or not Medifast is a low carb diet. While Medifast may be best known for its low calorie meal replacement plan, it is also low in carbohydrates.

Since Medifast has so many food options now, how much carbohydrate you eat each day depends on the food choices you make. Also, whether or not you have additional snacks allowed will make a difference as well. For the most part, the Medifast plan will ensure your carb intake is between 65g and 100g per day. This is not necessarily an Atkins induction period, which makes your carbohydrates less than 20g a day. However, it is a sufficient reduction to put your body into a very light ketosis daily to help with fat burning.

Ketosis is the reason why a low carb diet allows you to lose weight quickly. Basically, ketosis is what happens when your body starts burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. When you dramatically cut down on carbohydrates in your diet, it can take several days for your body to make the switch so it's important to stick to your diet plan for the first three to four days. Once your body starts to burn fat, however, you need to quickly see that many of your hunger and desire are gone and you may feel a little more energy.

It is after the first few days have passed that your weight loss will really be geared up so when you get through them, you should be quickly appreciated by the numbers on your scale. Unfortunately, you need to be careful to maintain this fat burning state. Increase your carbohydrate too high and you will be kicked out of ketosis and it will take a few more days to get back into the groove.

As everyone's body reacts differently to carbohydrates, you may find that you need to cut lower carbohydrates to achieve true success with Medifast. So if you find that your weight is going to go a little slower than you like (say, less than 2 lbs per week), consider cutting down the Medifast bar and sticking to shakes and other foods. And take the extra Medifast snack. It should keep your carbohydrate low enough to keep your weight loss truck in good shape.

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